Cancer patients 'struggling with fuel bills'

Published: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:30:00

A charity has today called on the government to extend the winter fuel payment to cancer patients. People suffering from cancer are twice as likely to fall into fuel poverty and need more help from the government, Macmillan Cancer Support has said today. Macmillan says 73 per cent of cancer patients in active treatment need to use their heating more, yet those under 60 do not qualify for any help to pay for it.

Therefore, the charity has called for cancer patients, just like the elderly, to qualify for winter fuel payment, as well as the new mandatory social tariffs which energy companies will have to offer. Research by Macmillan found 19 per cent of cancer patients are in fuel poverty; defined by when a family spends over ten per cent of their income on heating and lighting their home. Ciarán Devane, chief executive at Macmillan Cancer Support said: "People undergoing cancer treatment spend more time at home as they're often too ill to work.

"The effects of treatment can make them feel the cold more, and then they need the heating on higher and for longer which leads to increased fuel bills; all at a time when their household income plummets. "Struggling with fuel bills is a situation that can very quickly spiral out of control for cancer patients and it is simply not fair. They need help from the government and they need it now."

The charity added that of all the people helped financially by Macmillan over one year, nearly 12,000 people, or 43 per cent, asked for help with their fuel bills.

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