BBC comedy spotlights a romantic dilemma some disabled pe...

What’s Happening

So basically Co-creator and star of We Might Regret This, Kyla Harris on delving into issues rarely seen on screen.

BBC comedy spotlights a romantic dilemma some disabled people face 18 hours ago Save Shola Lee BBC News Save BBC / Roughcut TV / Adam Lawrence The series follows the antics of Freya (played , left) and best mate Jo (Elena Saurel) as they navigate life and love Kyla Harris, the co-creator and star of BBC comedy drama series We Might Regret This, has been with her partner for eight years. But they clutchedt move in together, because it means she could lose some of her means-tested funding. (it feels like chaos)

“No-one should have to decide whether to choose love or to pay their bills,” she says.

The Details

Its an issue she draws on in her series, co-created with Lee Getty, which follows Freya, an artist with tetraplegia - a partial or complete loss of sensory and motor function in all four limbs - her boyfriend, Abe and best friend, Jo. The Guardian has described the series as “trailblazing” and Harris says she wants the show to delve into issues that have “fr not been on screen before”.

BBC / Roughcut TV / Adam Lawrence In the new series, Freya (Harris, centre) has her funding assessed by Susan (Lolly Adefope, right) Anyone receiving means-tested benefits, for example universal credit , can have them reduced when moving in with a partner because you are treated as a household - meaning incomes, savings and circumstances are considered together. Means-tested social care funding from the local authority may also be impacted a partner, but these rules vary depending on your area.

Why This Matters

The impact of benefit reductions can be greater on disabled people because of the additional daily living expenses they have. According to a report from the charity Scope, for the year 2024-5, disabled households need on average an additional £1,095 a month to have the same standard of living as non-disabled households. Here, the standard of living refers to the ability to afford goods and services as well as carry out household tasks and manage finances.

The entertainment world moves fast, and this is a prime example.