The cost-of-living crisis is forcing cancer patients to pick between having treatment and going to work, a new ITV report claims.
ITV News spoke to two people currently receiving treatment.
And they discovered that they’re being forced to choose between life-saving treatment or surviving day-to-day.
Cost-of-living crisis: Cancer patients face difficult choice
ITV News found that the problem wasn’t just due to the rising cost of fuel.
But also down to a delay in receiving Government benefits.
According to cancer charity Maggie’s, patients are having to wait an average of 13 weeks before they get any financial help.
And this has allegedly led to some people to having to sell their homes.
‘It’s not the cancer getting me down’
Ray Morphus – who has chronic lymphatic leukaemia – can no longer work as a joiner.
And this means he can no longer afford his home.
He said: “If you work for yourself you don’t get paid to have days off. I don’t think people understand that, because they say: ‘Oh cancer, be brave, be strong,’
“But they don’t realise it’s not that that’s getting you down.
“Choosing whether to go back to work is a tough decision to make,” he admitted.
Patients to stop treatment early?
According to an ITV News survey, 56% of people living with cancer have missed hospital appointments.
And they have said that this is because they either can’t afford to miss work or because of the rising fuel prices.
As a result, 48% have said they are considering stopping their treatment early.
Meanwhile, 69% are considering returning to work earlier than advised by their doctors.
Christmas coming means more problems
With Christmas approaching, Lynn McEntee is considering going back to work to pay for Christmas presents for her children.
Lynn has breast cancer and works as an NHS carer. However, she went onto half pay in August and, come December, she’ll have no income.
She told ITV News: “It’s hard.
“There should be more help out there for people in general anyway, but especially when you’ve got no choice but not to work and there’s the cost of living and Christmas is coming up.
“I feel worried. How am I going to pay for getting the kids and grandkids something little for Christmas? How do you explain to kids ‘you can’t have anything for Christmas this year, sorry’?”
Cost-of-living crisis: Government responds
The ITV News team did speak to the Department for Work and Pensions.
They said they “understand how difficult and life-altering a cancer diagnosis can be”.
The spokesperson added that they are “committed to getting people the support they’re entitled to as quickly as possible”.
They also promised to “backdate awards to ensure no one misses out”.
The spokesperson also commented on the recent measures announced in the Autumn Statement.
“We are committed to supporting the most vulnerable households across the UK – with a further £12bn of direct support committed for 2023-24.
“This includes additional cost-of-living payments, which will be made in 2023-24 including £900 to households on means-tested benefits and £150 to disabled people.”
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