Scots cancer claimants missing out!

Almost ten thousand Scots with a terminal cancer diagnosis did not claim disability benefits they were entitled to, research for Macmillan Cancer Relief has revealed. The charity’s ‘The unclaimed millions’ report shows that 64% of those affected in Scotland missed out on benefits amounting to nearly £15 million.

Peter Cardy, Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Relief said: “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 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 it.”

Macmillan will now share the latest research findings with government and policy makers and plans to explore what must be done to encourage increased take up of benefits by all people affected by cancer, not just those with a terminal diagnosis.

The research, conducted for Macmillan by the Centre for the Economics of Health at the University of Wales, found that Scotland has the lowest claim rate in the UK – someone with a terminal cancer diagnosis in Scotland is almost 3 times less likely to claim than someone in Northern Ireland. Reasons for this chronic underclaim are numerous – practical difficulties filling out complex forms, fear of the stigma of claiming benefits, or some people just never knowing that they are entitled to this money.

Brian Lawson, Senior Advice Worker at Granton Information Centre, said “Anyone with an illness which is likely to be terminal within 6 months is automatically entitled to a high rate of disability benefit, without all the hassle normally associated with claiming benefit. Obviously claiming benefit is the last thing that anyone wants to think about at such difficult times, but the money is there to be claimed and may help to ease any financial worries and allow an individual and their loved ones to concentrate on more important matters.”

If you think that you, or someone you know may be entitled to any benefit, you can get free, confidential, expert advice and assistance from Granton Information Centre, call 551 2459.

Article from North Edinburgh News