Cancer patients losing out on millions of unclaimed benefits, UK
Macmillan Cancer Relief is concerned that thousands of cancer patients are not claiming benefits to which they are entitled through lack of information, confusion or embarrassment. Other key highlights of The unclaimed millions are that:
-- More than half of people with cancer (83,000) who die each year (154,000) do not claim their entitled disability benefits.
-- There is huge variation in take-up across the UK. Scotland has the lowest claim rate overall - 64 per cent do not claim. Someone living with cancer in Northern Ireland is more than twice as likely to claim as someone living with cancer in Scotland.
-- Low take-up of disability benefits by people affected by cancer is due to issues such as the perceived stigma of claiming benefits from the state and the complicated and confusing claiming process.
Lyndsay Baker, 37, from Luton, who was recently diagnosed, said:
"I found claiming benefits more stressful than having cancer itself."
Macmillan's findings relate to unclaimed disability benefits of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance (AA) by people diagnosed with terminal cancer. Terminally ill cancer patients automatically qualify for DLA and AA.
Yet millions more may be going unclaimed by people with cancer who, like Lyndsay, do not have a terminal diagnosis. More than a million people are living with cancer and many may still be entitled to claim DLA, AA or other benefits such as housing benefit, council tax benefit, income support or Carer's Allowance. But, again, lack of knowledge, embarrassment or the sheer difficulties of claiming, may stop them accessing these vital benefits.
Peter Cardy, Chief Executive, Macmillan Cancer Relief, comments:
"Our findings are just the tip of the iceberg. Cancer can have an enormous impact on someone's income. They can plummet from a comfortable lifestyle to one of real financial difficulty. It is appalling that people affected by cancer are faced with the unacceptable extra stress and worry of money problems when they are most vulnerable - especially when that help does exist if only they knew about it."
ENDS
For further information, spokespeople, case studies, and a copy of the report, please contact: Kirsty Warwick - Macmillan Cancer Relief Press Office
020 7840 7808 (out of hours 07801 307068)
kwarwick@macmillan.org.uk
Editors' notes:
About the research
Where a terminal diagnosis has been made with a life expectancy of less than six months, there is automatic entitlement to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance (AA) under the 'special rules'. Macmillan's research assumes that all people who died of cancer would have been entitled to DLA and AA for the last six months of their lives, although this assumption may not hold in all cases for the following reasons:
-- People might not survive for the full six months
-- People might survive longer than the 6-month claim period used in this estimation
-- People might have made a successful claim prior to being diagnosed as terminally ill
-- People might not have received a terminal diagnosis prior to their death
About Disability Living Allowance
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a contribution towards the extra costs incurred by people with disabilities. People with cancer may be eligible for the benefit if they have care or mobility needs or else qualify under the Special Rules for terminal illness. DLA is not means-tested and can be claimed by anyone regardless of their household income or employment status. Higher rate for the care component is £58-80p per week.
About Attendance Allowance
AA is a similar non-means benefit for people aged 65 and over, but, unlike DLA, there is no mobility component. It is worth £58-80p per week.
What do we mean by Special Rules?
Anyone who has been given a terminal diagnosis with a life expectancy of less than six months should automatically qualify for DLA higher rate care component or higher rate AA. Claims made under the Special Rules for terminal illness should be processed much quicker than ordinary claims.
Supporting Information Benefits Research - summary - (400.32Kb)
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Pacienþii cu cancer a pierde pe milioane de beneficii nu a fost ridicata, Marea Britanie - Cancer patients losing out on millions of unclaimed benefits, UK - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate