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Macmillan Cancer Support responds to Liberal Democrat party decision to support a motion calling on the Government to scrap plans to time-limit the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to twelve months.
Ciarán Devane, Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, says:
“Today Liberal Democrat members stood up for thousands of cancer patients who are fearful of losing vital financial support. “Party members agree that people who have paid into the system all their working lives, but then are unable to work due to a disability or illness, should not have crucial benefits taken away after just one year irrespective of whether they are well enough to return to work. The side-effects of cancer and its treatment can be extremely debilitating and many patients need longer than a year to get back to work. “The Government must now make changes to the Welfare Reform Bill to ensure cancer patients are not penalised simply because they do not recovery quickly enough. The proposed changes will unnecessarily push people into crisis – costing us all more. I hope Liberal Democrats in Westminster will listen to the views of their party members and vote to remove this poorly thought through proposal from the Bill.”
“Today Liberal Democrat members stood up for thousands of cancer patients who are fearful of losing vital financial support.
“Party members agree that people who have paid into the system all their working lives, but then are unable to work due to a disability or illness, should not have crucial benefits taken away after just one year irrespective of whether they are well enough to return to work. The side-effects of cancer and its treatment can be extremely debilitating and many patients need longer than a year to get back to work.
“The Government must now make changes to the Welfare Reform Bill to ensure cancer patients are not penalised simply because they do not recovery quickly enough. The proposed changes will unnecessarily push people into crisis – costing us all more. I hope Liberal Democrats in Westminster will listen to the views of their party members and vote to remove this poorly thought through proposal from the Bill.”
****Spokespeople available for interviews****
Sarah Ross, Senior Media & PR Officer, Macmillan Cancer Support 020 7840 4722 (out of hours 07801 307068) sross@macmillan.org.uk|