General Chat

The charity Macmillan Cancer Support has said that terminally ill cancer patients are having to wait weeks, or even months, to have their benefits payments processed.

Mike Hobday, director of Policy & Research at Macmillan, said "The fact that the processing time has gone from eight to ten days to eight to ten weeks, really is appalling,"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24785115

If the allegations in this report are true - the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith and his department should hang their heads in shame.

They don't rush.

When Fred came out of hospital we lived entirely on his pension for nearly two months. We had the benefits for a while and then it stopped because the bank had suddenly decided we didn't have an account with them.

It wasn't the banks fault, nor, indeed, was it the fault of the benefits agency. Well, it wouldn't be would it?

A 60 year old woman from Cardiff, suffering from an aggressive form of ovarian cancer has just had to rent a flat in London so she can have access to a beneficial cancer drug which is not available at Wales' only cancer hospital - how ridiculous is that

Sharron - it is the fault of all the scroungers & layabouts who spend their life lying on a sofa swigging beer and smoking fags which according to way the DWP seems to work - is their definition for anyone who receives any form of benefits from the welfare state.


AnnCardiff - "National Health Service" = "Postcode Lottery" :-S

IDS is trying to push through his various schemes universal credit scheme, PIP, bedroom tax. He is facing enormous opposition not only with the usual suspects and claimants but also within his own party.

There are precious few votes in these schemes and elections are looming.

Francis Maude is not allowing any increase in DWP manpower so implementing the schemes is taking priority over real needs, now. Senior officer with the DWP are working on after being retired and drawing pension ( nice work if you can get it ).

The Treasury has been bitterly against IDS ideas from the get go claiming that they will cost zillions long before any net benefit to govt coffers. The NAO has lamented the hundreds of millions already spent on software that doesn't work.

Sensing blood Osbourne has his teeth in. Something has to balance up the budget for HS2 and other disasters. The only possible victims are the NHS & DWP.

Yeah it is bad. It is going to get a whole lot worse.

Ann, I suppose something has to 'give' with free prescriptions.
If those who could pay, paid, there'd be more money for expensive drugs :-(

true Maggie - but all NHS money goes into one pot so why are medicines not available to all?

Seems to be a lottery.
My nephew has MS, and is only STILL on Beta-Inteferon because he was trialling it. It has enabled him to live a full life, keep a full time job, and even buy a house.
'New' patients (past 15 odd years) can't get it, as it's deemed too expensive.
So apparently, it's okay for these people to live in great pain with a substantial loss of mobility and probably on benefits then!

The disparity in treatment for different ailments - from John o' Groats to Lands End is a national disgrace :-|