Charity chief slams cuts for plunging cancer patients into poverty

MACMILLAN Cancer Support boss Allan Cowie  reveals how anguished patients are being forced into financial hardship by benefit rules in a callous double whammy.

 

 

Allan Cowie

 

A CHARITY boss says Tory benefit cuts are having a devastating effect on Scots cancer victims.
Allan Cowie, general manager for Macmillan Cancer Support in Scotland, has revealed that after fear of pain, money worry is patients’ greatest cause of stress.

And demeaning work assessments ruling people are fit to work are also causing unnecessary suffering.
Cowie said: “People tell us, and there is a huge evidence base behind this, that second only to the fear of pain, financial worry is the greatest cause of stress following a cancer diagnosis.

“It’s shocking in this day and age that poverty can be a consequence of a cancer diagnosis. And it is, for many, many families.

“The Government should allow cancer patients more say over when they feel able to return to work and they should not be forced to have to go through assessments by ATOS.

“When people are ill, having to make that call to see if they can afford to keep on their house due to the bedroom tax is hugely unfair.

“Work is important and Macmillan are pretty clear on that, as it’s what people tell us. But forcing it on people with the risk of losing benefits is not in the best interests of patients and their families.”

Many Scots, according to the charity boss, have been left with the fear of being labelled scroungers, meaning vital benefits go unclaimed. Cowie said: “People should feel comfortable claiming what is due in their time of need.

“We are very concerned the welfare changes could add to this. We worry the stigmatisation of those on benefits may mean patients with cancer are too ashamed to claim.

“We have encountered cases of terrible poverty. We have heard of instances where people only worry about benefits when they face losing their home. Up until that point, they are more concerned with the dreadful worry of if they will live or die.

“We have also heard of cases where people have no food in their homes because they have channelled all their money into keeping a roof over their heads. This is not acceptable in this day and age.”

Politically neutral Macmillan are hugely respected for their work with cancer sufferers by patients, their families and by the medical profession.

The charity’s intervention in the debate over benefit cuts is hugely significant – particularly in the light of the direct attack on cancer victims by the hated bedroom tax.

Cowie said cancer sufferers face additional costs of a staggering £470 a month – the same as many mortgage payments.

He said: “This is the average cost associated with a cancer diagnosis in Scotland.

“It accounts not only for heating bills and travel costs for appointments, and dietary needs, but also the reduction in their income.


People often can’t work during treatment or rehabilitation. Cancer mounts a two-pronged attack on people’s finances.”

He said it was too early to know just how much the bedroom tax will hit Scots cancer victims.

But he added: “This tax would put additional stress on families coming to terms with diagnosis.

“There’s no doubt families will suffer if they have to deal with moving out of their home too.”

He said the Macmillan charity have helped cancer patients claim well over £100million in benefits over the past 10-years, given out around £7million in grants in six years and developed benefits advice services across the country.

He said; “Scotland used to have the lowest level of benefits take- up in the UK. Back in 2003, around £130million for Scots families facing terminal cancer went unpaid.

“We have worked very hard to convince cancer patients and their carers that there should be no shame in claiming money they are not only entitled to, but urgently need.”

Here we reveal the anguish caused to three cancer patients by the Tory government's hardline policies.

Joyce Rennie from Inverkeithing, Fife

George Mcluskie

 

JOYCE'S STORY

WHEN Joyce Rennie was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, it wasn’t just her health that suffered but her finances too.

The self-employed project manager was forced to give up work to undergo nine months of gruelling surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Just a week after completing this treatment, she was told her Employment and Support Allowance was to stop.

Joyce, 57, who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, says she relied on the benefit to survive.

She said: “This has been the worst time of my life. I am appalled at the lack of financial help for people with cancer.

“I was kicked off Employment and Support Allowance when I was at my weakest and most ill.

“I had lost all my hair, eyebrows, eyelashes and could barely walk the length of myself.”

She has lodged an appeal with the Department for Work and Pensions but says she may not get any benefits while she waits for her case to be heard.

She said: “I’ve worked hard all my life and paid my taxes yet, when I need support, I am facing a long battle with the Government. My appeal could take up to nine months.

“Instead of focusing on getting better, I’m worrying about how to pay next month’s bills.”

Joyce, from Inverkeithing, Fife, discovered she had cancer during a routine breast screening which she credits with saving her life.

She said: “I had no symptoms and only went to get checked after getting a letter in the post. I had no idea I had a tumour and I was told they caught it just in time.

“Cancer was a huge shock – all I could think was, ‘I’ve got to beat this and get better’.”

The tumour was removed from her right breast but the cancerous cells had started to spread.

Being self-employed meant that Joyce, who lives on her own, has had to use all of her savings to get by.

Her doctor says she is still too ill to work but ATOS insist she is fit to return.

She said: “This is despite feeling physically shattered and mentally drained, and my doctor agreeing I’m not ready.”

Joyce says she may be forced to return to full-time work.

She said: “Medically, I’m not ready to work. I know that and my doctor agrees but what else can I do?”

 

Kate Coulter from Ardrossan, Ayrshire

Tony Nicoletti/Daily Record

 

KATE'S STORY

KATE Coulter, 52, understands the true cost of cancer and feels like the Government are punishing her for suffering the killer disease.

The former care home worker had to give up the job she loved after being diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2010, and has had to survive on benefits.

Now she faces being kicked out of the home she has lived in for the past 14 years as she can’t afford to pay the bedroom tax.

Kate, from Ardrossan, Ayrshire, lives with her son, Brian, 29, who works full-time as a carer as well as looking after his mum.

They live in a three-bedroom house, but may have to move out of the area altogether because there are no smaller properties available.

If Kate was booted out of her home, she says it would be devastating as she relies on neighbours and lives near her sister.

Kate said: “At the moment, all the money coming in is spent on gas and electric, shopping, the TV licence and other essentials.

“I basically have nothing left after my bills are paid.

“You manage, but that is about it. I don’t have any quality of life. I can’t afford treats or the like. The worry is always there and I can’t sleep some nights. Thoughts just keep running through my head. How will I manage?”

Although her cancer is in remission, Kate has problems from the treatment.

She has lymphedema, a painful swelling of the arms and legs, nerve damage in her hands and feet, and has to use a stick to walk.

Kate added: “I get Disability Living Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance, which sounds like a lot, but when you have to pay all your bills it’s not.

“The cancer is fine, but the after effects, and everything else which comes with it makes it harder to deal with.

“I feel as if the Government think I am lying about my condition and there are times I feel like giving up altogether.”

Jahad Hatu from Glasgow

Phil Dye/Daily Record

 

JAHAD'S STORY

JAHAD Hatu was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer last summer and says he couldn’t have coped
financially if it wasn’t for his family supporting him.

The Glasgow man was working in a restaurant when he found out he was ill and almost immediately went from earning a full- time wage to statutory sick pay.

The 24-year-old dropped £1000 a month – while his costs rose by £200.

He had to pay to travel to numerous hospital appointments, as well as buy new clothes after his body shape rapidly changed because of his illness and treatment.

Jahad, who is undergoing chemotherapy and waiting for a double stem cell transplant, said: “I wasn’t feeling good and had taken a bit of time off.

“When I found out I had cancer, I didn’t know if I’d get any money at all but my boss was great and paid me statutory sick pay.

“After that finished, I was referred to Macmillan Cancer Support who helped me claim benefits.

“I didn’t know where to begin with the benefits system so having Macmillan’s support was helpful and took away some stress.

“Housing benefit was a real problem, though, as because I was living with my sister, I wasn’t entitled to any help paying my rent, even though I was paying this to her before I became ill.

“In some ways, the cost of cancer has hit my sister more because she’s the one with the responsibility to pay all the bills.

“I feel the cold more and get flu-like symptoms. I have to ask her to turn the heating up so she needs to cover the cost of that."

Jahad, who moved back to Glasgow from Chicago in 2011 to live near his Scottish mum, is now on Disability Living Allowance.

He is hoping to be moved on to the higher rate of Employment Support Allowance.

He said: “I’m waiting for surgery so hopefully I might get moved on to the higher rate of benefits but I don’t know what is going to happen.

“Money is a real problem at the moment and I don’t know if it’s going to get any better until I can go back to work.”

Daily Record