People with cancer forced into debt to heat their homes and put food on the table as thousands wait months for PIP payments

A leading cancer charity is taking over Westminster Underground Station urging the UK Government to ‘Pay PIP Now’, as people with cancer worry about how they will afford to live amid ongoing delays to receiving essential financial support

Macmillan Cancer Support is taking over Westminster Underground Station urging the UK Government to ‘Pay PIP Now’ and cut distressingly long waiting times for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) down to 12 weeks, as new data shows things going from bad to worse for the hundreds of thousands of people with cancer in need of the benefit.

New figures from the charity[i] suggest delays with processing claims for PIP are having an increasingly negative impact on the lives of people with cancer, with more than half of people with cancer on PIP (56%) reporting at least one issue with their health, wellbeing or finances while they wait to receive the financial support they’re entitled to[ii], compared with 42% in June[iii]. People are now three-quarters more likely to be struggling financially while waiting for PIP payments compared with six months ago[iv].

Macmillan’s latest data shows:

• 42% of people with cancer on PIP have had to borrow money, use their savings or have gotten further into debt to cover their costs while waiting to receive their payment, compared with 24% in June last year[v].
• Almost one in three (32%) people with cancer on PIP have to wait more than 12 weeks to receive their first payment, and one in four (25%) have to wait more than 16 weeks — equating to more than 80,000 people with cancer in the UK[vi]
• Those with longer waits continue to report worse impacts from waiting. The new stats show that 60% of those who wait more than 12 weeks for PIP say their physical or mental health has deteriorated while waiting, compared with 23% of those who wait 12 weeks or less. This means that those who wait more than 12 weeks for their payments to start are more than twice as likely to have seen their health deteriorate than those who experienced shorter waits[vii]
• In addition, 55% of those who wait more than 12 weeks for PIP have had to borrow money, use savings or get further into debt, compared with 40% of those who wait 12 weeks or less[viii]
• Each week a person’s PIP claim is delayed, those affected can miss out on up to £156.90ix. This means missing out on more than £2,500 over a 16-week wait
• While delayed payments are backdated, the financial impact of cancer is often sudden and unexpected with further research from Macmillan showing that 83% of people with cancer in the UK experience some kind of financial impact from their diagnosis, and for those affected, this reaches an average of £891 a month, on top of their usual expenditure[x]
• In the last six months, the welfare rights team on the Macmillan Support Line have answered more than 25,000 calls from people in need of support, accounting for almost one in four telephone queries answered by the Support Line during this time[xi]
  
  

The charity is urgently calling for the UK Government to take faster action to reduce PIP delays and is asking people to support its ‘Pay PIP Now’ campaign by signing a petition calling on the UK Government to cut the 16-week average waiting time for all PIP claimants down to 12 weeks — macmillan.org.uk/pippetition.

Steven McIntosh, Executive Director of Advocacy and Communications at Macmillan, says:

“We’re hearing from more and more people about the devastating impact PIP delays are having, with many being forced into debt and seeing their health and wellbeing suffer as they wait for the vital support they need. This is unacceptable; people with cancer deserve to live well, not just survive.

“This is now a critical situation, and the UK Government needs to go further and faster to reduce the long waiting times with a clear plan that will ensure people with cancer get the support they deserve, when they need it the most.”

Chris Jones, Energy Team Leader on the Support Line at Macmillan Cancer Support, says:

“On top of the existing financial burden a cancer diagnosis can bring, and the huge impact of the cost-of-living crisis, it’s unthinkable that people are having to wait so long to receive the support they desperately need. We’re hearing from people waiting for PIP who are more worried about whether they can afford to live than they are their health, as they are forced into debt, into to skipping meals and delaying or cancelling medical appointments due to travel costs which is simply unacceptable.

“We’re urging anyone worried about money to contact the free support available from Macmillan. We are here to make sure people get the help they need and deserve.”

Sarifa Patel, 63, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2010. She lives in London with her husband and is a carer for her son.

“My fight to get the support my family and I need through PIP has been a constant battle. At one point my payments completely stopped, and my tribunal appeal was never held. It took six months. I thought I’d be dead before I got it back.

“I’ve really suffered from the long-term effects of the cancer treatment and on top of that, having the constant burden of money worries wears you down both physically and mentally. During the worst of times, I couldn’t afford to feed myself or my family nutritious food to keep our strength up, or visit family and friends because of transport costs.

“Without PIP I was a prisoner. Financial hardship is a reality for so many people with cancer who have to wait too long for the money they need and are entitled to.”

Anyone affected by cancer who is worried about money can contact Macmillan’s money advisers on 0808 808 00 00, free of charge, seven days a week. Peer-to-peer support is also available 24 hours a day via the charity’s Online Community and more information about the support available can be found at Macmillan.org.uk

About PIP

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a non-means tested benefit designed to help with some of the extra costs arising from a health condition or disability.
• Access to PIP helps level the financial playing field between people with a disability who have additional needs and other people in society, enabling them to take part in everyday life and get around. A disproportionate number of those on PIP are on a low income[xii].
• PIP quarterly official statistics cover claims administered by the DWP. The waiting time statistic that Macmillan refers to covers England and Wales. There is a separate waiting time statistic for people on PIP in Scotland. Please note: The official statistics and the current 16-week average wait refer to all PIP claimants, not just those with cancer
• The Scottish Government introduced Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in March 2022. This replaced PIP for working age adult residents in Scotland.
• Macmillan’s new figures suggest the number of people with cancer who need the financial lifeline provided by PIP is increasing, with one in nine people with cancer in the UK (11%) now receiving the benefit, equating to 330,000 people with cancer, compared with one in 11 (9%) in June 2022[xiii]

Macmillan’s top benefits tips and how to understand what you’re entitled to:

1. If you are interested in your benefit entitlement, in the first instance you can use an online benefit calculator like the one on the Macmillan website. You should make sure you have to hand you and your partner’s income, any savings, and any outgoing costs, like rent.
2. You may also want to think about events where your household finances might change (for example when will you have to go on to sick pay, and how long will that last). As your income changes, so may your benefit entitlement, so don’t forget to investigate your entitlement going forward too.
3. The benefit system can be confusing if you are unfamiliar with it, with different types of incomes and outgoings treated differently. If you have any questions, please get in touch with one of our Welfare Rights Advisers.
4. Not all benefits are dependent on finances, some depend on your health. Especially for cancer patients, as you start and undergo treatment, you should keep a diary of symptoms or side effects that effect your ability to look after yourself at home. Disability benefit entitlement are for mid-long-term conditions, so it is really useful to know when any difficulties started when you are exploring accessing these types of benefits.
5. If you are provided with a terminal prognosis, you may get an automatic, fast-tracked entitlement to disability benefits. Make sure you speak to your consultant, doctor, cancer nurse or one of our Welfare Rights Advisers for more information if this affects you or a loved one.

About Macmillan Cancer Support

• I have had to skip meals
• I have had to sell personal items/ possessions
• I have had to borrow money to cover costs
• My physical health did/ has deteriorated
• My mental health did/ has deteriorated
• I have had to delay or cancel travelling to medical appointments related to my cancer
• I have had to cut back my spending
• I have gotten further into debt
• I have had to use savings to cover costs
• I have had to work longer hours/ more jobs to increase my income
• I have had to delay life events (e.g. wedding, trying for a baby, career change etc.)

[iii] Macmillan Cancer Support/YouGov survey of 2,050 adults in the UK who have had a cancer diagnosis, including 171 who receive personal independence payment (PIP). Please note the option to select Adult Disability Payment (ADP) was not included in this survey. The vast majority of fieldwork was undertaken between 31st May and 15th June 2022, with a small additional sample surveyed on 9th and 10th July 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of people living with cancer in the UK. Question wording as per ref ii except for the inclusion of ADP; 42% of respondents in this survey selected at least one of the answer options shown in ref ii