QUICK DISCLAIMER: All views & OPINIONS expressed in Matt's Column are his own and the topics are that of his own choice. Comments are welcome below, however please make them relevant to the topic only.
We all know that times are tough. Money is more limited than ever, prices for food, heat, electricity and gas are all on the rise and quite frankly the ability of being able to balance money is becoming harder and harder and in some cases impossible. A week never fails to go by without the state of our benefit’s system being heavily criticised. Numerous fraudsters, wrong amounts going to the wrong families and in general simply not enough money to go round. Being diagnosed with Cancer is something all of us fear and dread. When somebody we know and love gets diagnosed with it we are all at their side and showing and giving them as much support as humanely possible.
We have to visually watch our loved ones in pain, suffer and go through emotions which are unheard of in any other form of situation, a terrifying thought. Their should simply not be a concern when it comes to thinking of the cancer victim’s financial benefit. Things could be changed under new proposed guidelines as thousands of cancer patients undergoing gruelling chemotherapy treatments could be forced to prove they are too sick to work, charities have warned.
The proposed changes are buried in a review by Professor Malcolm Harrington of the Work Capability Assessment.
The government adviser has included proposals to force cancer patients undergoing intravenous chemotherapy treatments to attend back-to-work interviews or be denied a crucial benefit.
The sheer thought of reading that makes me feel nothing other than sick. This country and government is literally at the worst it has ever been in its history. The fact that already a human being is having to endure such rigorous efforts in order to save their life should not have to be worrying about proving they are ill in order to claim a benefit... there is not a word which is strong enough in the dictionary which would be effective in branding this prospect nothing other than unthinkable.
At present, patients unable to work because of the side-effects of non-oral cancer treatments receive the highest rate of employment support allowance, worth around £100 a week.
This payment was made to 9,000 patients between October 2008 and June 2010.
Macmillan Cancer Support had recommended that cancer patients receiving oral chemotherapy or radiotherapy should have the same protection as those taking non-oral chemotherapy.
But the charity said instead of extending exemptions to particularly vulnerable cancer patients, the Government is proposing to remove these from all.
The announcement comes despite the Government’s repeated assurances that they had no interest in making it harder for cancer patients to access benefits while they are undergoing debilitating treatment.
Ciarán Devane, Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, said:
'Cancer patients in the middle of treatment are, in many cases, fighting for their lives.
'Yet the Government is proposing to change the rules so all cancer patients will have to undergo a stressful assessment to prove they are unable to work.
'This shows a clear disregard and misunderstanding of what it’s like to undergo punishing treatment. Patients who previously had peace of mind would face the stress and practical difficulties of getting assessed for work they are too poorly to do.'
He added: 'To make matters worse, the Government is pressing ahead with proposed changes in the Welfare Reform Bill that will make 7,000 cancer patients lose ESA after 12 months simply because they have not recovered quickly enough.
'We hope ministers will rethink these proposals and listen to the clear views of the cancer community. Cancer is the toughest fight many people will have to face, the Government should not be making it tougher for them.'
A spokesman from the Department of Work and Pensions, said:
'We have not made any changes to the WCA and how it affects cancer patients.
'The proposals within the Harrington review are just that, and having worked with Macmillan and others, we will continue to discuss with them how the WCA should work.
'This issue is an incredibly important and sensitive one for many people, which is why Professor Harrington has worked so closely with cancer charities.
'Everyone agrees that for some people being able to continue working or getting back into work after diagnosis is important and we want the WCA to effectively reflect that.'
It staggers me to just how much this government can get everything SO WRONG on simply all counts. Never has there been such a government which is entirely unbelievably disillusioned. Benefits for people who have been diagnosed with Cancer should be the most easiest of funds to be accessible. Of course, show them some form of documentation to prove diagnosis of course, otherwise any Tom, Dick or Harry would stoop to the level of pretending that they had the fatal condition, yet for them to state that they shall need to go through rigorous testing is nothing other than absurd and for them to even to think and contemplate a Cancer sufferer going through such a further ordeal is nothing less that heartless, thus shows the government for what it is filled of... that of heartless twirps! Never has there been such a group of individuals who are so disconnected from the normal people on this earth. The benefits system rightly so does indeed need an overhaul and a rethink, yet to affect the genuine and those with a severe condition and illness is simply stupid. Though of course the likes of David Cameron shall never understand as I’m sure if he was unfortunate enough to have a family member suffering a similar experience, I’m sure private care would be of the up most of importance and I’m sure even funding it wouldn’t even prove a problem either!
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