With NHS reforms grabbing the media headlines, you could be forgiven for overlooking another crucial piece of legislation making its way through parliament – the welfare reform bill. While I agree the benefits system is in need of reform, certain changes in the welfare reform bill will be devastating for thousands of cancer patients and their families, who are already struggling.
We all know that cancer is one of the toughest fights anyone will face. Struggling with gruelling chemotherapy treatment as well as the emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis is difficult enough. What many people don’t realise is that cancer is an expensive disease. We recently released findings which showed that seven out of ten cancer patients experience a drop in income and increased costs following diagnosis, and shockingly, one in 20 regularly skip meals to save money.
Money worries should be the last thing cancer patients have to think about, and yet, the government is still proposing to cut their vital out-of-work benefit – employment and support allowance – if they have received the benefit for a year or more. As this provides cancer patients with £94 a week, this drop in income will be devastating. While cancer patients need to take time off work to have or recover from treatment, many are left with no option but to rely on this benefit. It’s a financial lifeline helping them keep a roof over their head and food on their table.
We estimate that 7,000 cancer patients will be affected in the first year alone. Put simply, they will lose crucial support because they haven’t recovered from their illness quickly enough. Anyone who has experience of cancer will tell you that for many, one year is just not long enough. It’s not just the treatment, it’s the ongoing, debilitating side-effects, such as crippling fatigue, pain and restricted movement to name but a few.
Another worrying proposal in the bill is the plan to make cancer patients wait six months instead of three to access another vital benefit, the personal independence payment, which supersedes disability living allowance. Cancer patients often experience the greatest costs in the first six months following their diagnosis including travel to and parking at their hospital, extra food and heating bills. Many already find the three month wait difficult, as their household will already have experienced a loss of one of their wages.
That’s why today Macmillan Cancer Support is launching a petition to call on the government to scrap plans time-limit ESA and extend the PIP qualifying period from three to six months. Before the Lords vote at the bill’s report stage, the government needs to realise that these are vulnerable cancer patients who are forced to rely on benefits, not because they want to cheat the system, but because their disease and months of treatment mean work is not an option. You can help by showing your support and signing our petition. Your support will be invaluable as we talk to Lords and MPs and they prepare to vote on these changes. Thank you.
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Laura Keely is campaigns manager at Macmillan Cancer Support
Thank you for highlighting this issue – those that have the power,over those who have no power against this unfair and cruel legislation simply do not care a hoot.They have the power to destroy people and are actively doing so-because they can! I cannot believe the media black out on the numerous tragic circumstances this Government is endorsing.They are causing untold fear,misery and promoting deeply flawed Assessments by ATOS on the direct instruction of the DWP.It is not good enough to keep stating that the assessments will improve following each of the Prof Harrington reports,as 11,000 people pw are relentlessly subjected to this disgraceful assessment each week.
I cannot express my deep distress at the suffering this continues to unjustly cause – The suicides are mounting as people cannot access help/money wrongly denied.Reading about Mr & Mrs Mullins has broken my heart, we don’t have much,but I wish I could have known them and helped them- so very very sad that nobody helped them.
Please could you also include along with Cancer the many other long term chronic and progressive conditions(And accidents) that alters the paths of peoples lives,as these too have a devastating effect & cost implications long term,as well as loss of wages and emotional /treatment effects. Please note,that many of these conditions (As previously exempt from medical assessments) often have their onset in middle life,when most people are still paying mortgages -this will be even harder now disability benefits are linked to CPI the gap between RPI and CPI will increasingly widen over time.
Finally I would like to know,why people are taxed as individuals,but treated as couples for the withdrawal of ESA after 1 year if the are in the WRG and their partner is earning a pitiful wage as determined by this Govt. People have often paid in for 20/30/40 years in N.I contributions- in the belief that should the worst happen,at least they would get basic support.People do not choose the get Cancer/MS/Parkinson’s/Rheumatoid Arthritis/Motor Neurone Disease etc or have Strokes etc.
Why are they being punished and subjected to Media hatred fuelled by misinformation by Govt leading to increased Disability hate crime and general public perception that all on benefits are the underclass and benefit scroungers.
I wish to state,that I have never written anything of a political nature before,on any site/blog,but this whole scenerio has made me become a political animal because it is just so very unjust.
The Labour Party needs to speak out against these atrocities they initiated and get rid of ATOS/UNUM
and replace them with reputable assessors who are answerable in Law and operate a proper assessment,not the deeply flawed LIMA system.