News story

31st January 2005

Local MP Signs Up to Get a Better Deal for People Dealing with Cancer

Steve Webb MP with Gillian Lord, Head of
Macmillan Cancer's service department for the South West of England, at a
recent meeting at Westminster

Northavon MP Steve Webb has given his support to a campaign to make access to the benefits system fairer for cancer patients. The MP has signed a Parliamentary motion calling on the government to ensure that cancer patients do not suffer financial hardship because of having cancer, in the light of a campaign by Macmillan Cancer Relief.

Macmillan have found that more than three quarters of cancer patients surveyed said that they ran up extra bills for things like travel for treatment, hospital car parking and higher heating bills. Many were not claiming disability-related benefits to which they were entitled.

The campaign calls on the government to ensure that every cancer patient is offered specialist benefit advice at diagnosis, as well as improving cancer patients' access to Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance as soon as they know they have cancer, when costs can often be greatest.

Steve Webb said:

"A cancer diagnosis can be devastating enough, without the added worry of financial hardship. It is imperative that people dealing with cancer have simple advice at an early stage about their rights to financial support".

The MP has written to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Alan Johnson, about the benefit position of people with cancer. In reply, Alan Johnson said that his officials had met representatives of Macmillan Cancer Relief and would be considering whether people with cancer might be given earlier benefit advice.