Acclaimed actor Brian Cox, drawing on his own difficult childhood, has launched a powerful campaign demanding the government reverses deep cuts to a vital therapy fund for adopted children and those in kinship care.
A Personal Crusade Born from Experience
The Succession star, who lost his father at just eight years old and was cared for by his sisters after his mother suffered nervous breakdowns, is backing a call for a U-turn on reductions to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF). The fund, which supports vulnerable children in England, has seen its per-child therapy support slashed by 40%, from £5,000 to £3,000 annually.
Brian Cox described the fund as a "special lifeline" for children who, like his younger self, depend on the care of relatives. "I was totally dependent on my three sisters. They looked out for me as much as they looked after me," the 79-year-old actor told the Mirror. He credited his eldest sister, Bette, as his "absolute rock" during a turbulent childhood in a cramped Dundee flat.
The Impact of the Funding Cuts
The government changes, announced in April, not only reduce the annual therapy allowance but have also completely scrapped a separate £2,500 per child allocation for specialist assessments. Furthermore, the ASGSF will no longer match-fund support for children with exceptional needs.
In a video for the campaign group Action Against ASGSF Changes, Cox stated: "All children have the right to feel safe, thrive and reach their potential. Adopted and kinship children and those under special guardianship orders are no different. The Labour government has cut a vital fund that supported these children." He emphasised that the therapy provided through the fund "cannot be accessed in any other way."
The actor, who rose from poverty to star in films like Braveheart and the Bourne Identity, is supporting the campaign following a similar plea last month by actress Anna Maxwell-Martin. Cox is urging the public to sign an open letter to the minister for children and families, Josh MacAlister.
Government Response and Campaigner Dissatisfaction
While the Department for Education has committed to continuing the ASGSF until April 2027, campaigners are deeply unsatisfied. A spokesperson for Action Against ASGSF Changes said that the cuts were made "without warning, evidence or consultation" and that a recent meeting with Minister MacAlister offered "no credible explanation."
The government maintains that the £50 million fund for 2025-6 requires "difficult decisions" to ensure its "financial sustainability," promising a public engagement process in the new year. However, for Brian Cox and the families relying on the ASGSF, the fight to fully restore what he sees as a moral obligation to society's most vulnerable children is far from over.
