Cancer Patients Waiting Months For PIP Finds Macmillan Study

Thousands of cancer patients are waiting months to get vital benefits, a charity claims today.

Macmillan Cancer Support found people faced “shattering” delays after applying for help from the state.

Patients had an average wait of 19 weeks but an estimated 4,500 were still not assessed after six months.

Some terminally ill sufferers died before a decision was made.

A third of patients said hold-ups left them anxious or depressed, while more than half struggled financially.

Macmillan blamed the ­introduction of personal independence payments, which were recently brought in by Tory Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith to replace disability living allowance.

Most assessments were carried out by under-fire firm Atos, which has decided to exit its £500million ­Government contract early.

Duleep Allirajah, head of policy at Macmillan, said: “Our report shows the real and shattering impact these PIP delays have on cancer patients.

“It is unacceptable that people struggle to heat their homes, are saddled with debt or are left anxious or depressed because they are waiting so long for much-needed benefits.

“These delays are a further blow to cancer patients who have to prove they have been affected for at least three months before the state considers them eligible for help.”

The payment provides up to £79 a week towards the cost of dressing, eating and washing, and up to £55 for travel. Londoner Jodie Patten, 31, said she applied a month after being ­diagnosed with breast and bone cancer in October but had yet to be assessed. She said: “I have had to constantly call up to find out what is happening with my application.

“I have worked all my life, paid my taxes, and it feels like I’m begging for money. I already have to worry about cancer and I don’t need to worry about paying the bills as well.”

47-year-old Shola Fayomi, also from London, applied for PIP after major surgery for cancer in her chest.

Yet nearly a year after he diagnosis she is still waiting for a decision.

The mental health nurse said: “I believe delays are intentional so they hope people will improve and when they make the assessment they won’t meet the criteria. It’s disgraceful.”

Macmillan, which sur­­veyed 210 patients, called for waiting times to be cut to 11 weeks – the average for disability living allowance decisions.

In response, the Department for Work and Pensions said: “The report is based on a very small sample size using simplistic calculations to produce results which should, at best, be treated with extreme caution.

“Claims for terminally ill people are fast-tracked using special rules under PIP and statistics show that more than 99% of people with terminal illnesses who have applied have been awarded the benefit. Over 10,000 terminally ill claimants are receiving PIP.”