A study carried out by researchers at the Peninsula Medical School and the Institute of Child Health (UCL) has revealed that families from an ethnic, non-English speaking background with a child with Down's syndrome do worse from the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) system than families facing the same issues who come from a white, English-speaking background.
The research team surveyed the parents of 138 children with Down's syndrome, aged two years or less, from across the UK who were taking part in a trial of vitamin supplements.
The study revealed that 69 per cent of ethnic minority parents were granted the DLA, compared with 96 per cent of white parents. The survey also showed that 67 per cent of parents with English as a second language received the DLA, compared with 93 per cent of parents for whom English is their first language.
As well as significantly reducing their chances of receiving the DLA, ethnic minority families were also shown to be less likely to be granted a higher monetary award.
The research also noted that severity of disability, such as the presence of cardiac disease or developmental delay, bore no relation to the application, granting or level of the DLA award.
Although all children with Down's syndrome meet the criteria of the DLA, only 80 per cent were receiving the benefit – this despite the fact that almost all young children with Down's syndrome require extra help due to global development delay, speech delay and associated health problems, including 40 per cent of children with the condition who have congenital heart defects.