Cancer benefits 'going unclaimed'
 23 June, 2004

Patients in Scotland who suffer from cancer are missing out on £15m worth of unclaimed disability benefits, a leading charity has said.
Macmillan Cancer Relief found only 36% of entitled Scots claimed the benefits, the lowest figure in the UK.

It blamed the low take-up on the health and benefits systems, a lack of information, and patient embarrassment.

The organisation has called on the UK Government to do more to encourage patients to claim what is due to them.

Across the UK, 54% of people with terminal cancer - nearly 83,000 people - had not claimed their automatic benefits.

In Scotland, 64% of eligible patients did not claim, about 10,000 patients, compared with only 23% in Northern Ireland.

In Scotland this is split between Westminster and the Scottish Parliament, so there are some issues there that we need to address

Lorraine Spalding
Macmillan Cancer Relief
Any cancer patient who has been given a terminal diagnosis with a life expectancy of less than six months automatically qualifies for disability allowances.

Macmillan Cancer Relief compared the rate of cancer deaths in 2001 to the number of disability claims in the same year.

Spokeswoman Lorraine Spalding told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We really need to look at the reasons why things are a lot easier in other parts of the United Kingdom.

"In Northern Ireland four-in-five cancer patients are getting access, whereas in Scotland it's still only one-in-three.

"One of the things for Northern Ireland is that both health and the benefits system are controlled in Northern Ireland, in Scotland this is split between Westminster and the Scottish Parliament, so there are some issues there that we need to address.

"We're speaking to the Department of Work and Pensions at the moment to try and take forward some practical solutions and we are working with the Citizens Advice Bureau to try and meet the needs now, but it is a big issue."

The Department for Work and Pensions said it was committed to raising awareness of the benefits available to terminal cancer patients and simplifying the claim process.

A spokesman said: "We want anyone entitled to a benefit to claim what's theirs."