Counting the cost of living
Abbie Tabberer, who's disabled, shares her fears about accessing ongoing medical care and paying for her assistance dog, Alfie, in the face of rocketing prices.
With energy, fuel and food all rocketing in price, everyday life is getting increasingly expensive for millions of people in the UK. Prices are continuing to rise at their fastest rate for 40 years, with UK inflation hitting 9.4% in the year to June, according to the Office for National Statistics. The figure is up from 9.1% in May and at the highest level since February 1982.
For Abbie Tabberer, the financial pressure is already becoming unbearable. She's 31 and has a condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. It means she takes 30 medications a day, is tube fed and needs to use a wheelchair. She lives in Derby with her parents, who are both pensioners - and her Mum is her full-time carer.
For 5 Minutes On, Abbie shares her fears about accessing ongoing medical care in the face of rising costs. Her NHS medical teams are all an expensive journey away in London - and she has to pay for some medication herself. She tells Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ reporter Navtej Johal she's also worried about meeting basic living costs - she and her parents are already limiting themselves to just two showers a week. And then there's her assistance dog, Alfie, to fund too. "He's my therapist, my everything... I would go without dressings or medication in order to keep him", she says.
Photo credit: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
