Terminally ill cancer patients and people undergoing chemotherapy are being threatened with benefit cuts if they do not attend back-to-work interviews, Macmillan Cancer Support and Citizens Advice have warned.
A new report by the two charities has found the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) process is failing seriously ill people, despite assurances from the government they would be safeguarded from the system. Some terminally ill people are even dying before getting the financial support they need.
Chris Hulme, director of the Clayton Hulme partnership, believes clients are not aware of the government crackdown on benefit payments since introducing the Welfare Reform Act (WRA).
He said: "It's certainly something that's enlightening for them. Putting these figures to clients is an eye-opener and a wake up call that they need to provide for themselves and they can't rely on the state or employers.
"It's certainly helping the sales of ASU and health insurance," he added.
ESA was introduced in October 2008 to encourage ‘job ready' people to return to work, but findings in Failed by the system, show: terminally ill cancer and non-oral chemotherapy patients, are being required to undergo medical examinations and work-focused interviews, when they should be automatically exempt; People undergoing, or recovering from radiotherapy are being refused ESA when they should automatically qualify; and cancer patients suffering from the disease's long-term effects are failing medical assessments and being refused ESA.
