Winter Fuel payments

Hi, I don’t know how many of you are aware that Macmillan are campaigning for cancer patients to receive winter fuel and cold weather payments? If you go to their site you will find out more, but I just wanted to draw your attention to it.
I did a radio interview last week, and the DWP came back with a reply that people with cancer can get DLA, and that is more than enough to help out with fuel bills, so they don’t need financial help!!! Honest!!
So, all you girls, who have struggled to get DLA, or any form of financial support and failed; if you are not classed as terminally ill(as you then can get DLA without any problems), I suggest you get writing some very strong relpies to the government, either direct, or through your MP’s.
I tried to raise the point that many people struck down with cancer are young, and wage earning, often with families, and have large mortgages/loans. Cancer is expensive…we have only just got our prescriptions free, but unless you are on Income Support, you have to pay for wigs, extra prosthesis’, dental work, eyesight tests and glasses, etc, etc. How nice it would have been to have got some help with our fuel bills, when feeling cold, and being sick is enough to worry about, without the high cost of this winter’s bill (apparently will be approx £70 more than usual).
Some of us are able to continue to work, but many can’t.
Just thought I would bring your attention to it…
Best wishes,
Jax

Thanks for that Jax, I too have often thought how daft it is that we can now (at long last) get free prescriptions yet still have to pay for eyesight tests/glasses and dental work. Both of which (eyes and teeth/gums) can and usually are affected by cancer treatments further down the line. Maybe we could start a petition or maybe someone is aware of one going on already?

Yes, there is a petition to sign online, and they even have a set letter you can send to your MP (they even find your MP for you!) and also to the local paper. I am really hoping it takes off for Macmillan, and for us all.
Just a word of warning…I did TV interview as well, and it was highly embarassing, as you could expect, but also facts get given out wrongly. Only small points, but I think in future I will stick to live interviews, like the radio, where they can’t doctor your viewpoint. In case you get involved big time and get caught like we did!! But I hope it does raise the issue.
Good luck, let’s seee this one take off, like the prescription one did!!! We all need a little help don’t we?

I have signed the petition a while back. The DWP do not live in the real world do they ? My fuel bills are due this week so dread what they will be. I am lucky that I can work some hours but know many cannot do this. It seems that once who have had cancer and treatment, it is a case that ‘you are alright now’ view from government and DWP.I hope Macmillan do well with their campaign.

Rachy xx

Hi Jax
Great to see this raised again (see eariler thread in this section of the Forums), and hope loads of us will visit the Macmillan website to take part in their campaign.
The Number 10 e-petition has now closed, with 508 signatures, so we can expect a Government response. Of course they will probably cite that DLA can help with fuel payments (as they did with you), but (a) we don’t all qualify for DLA, and (b) it’s meant for extra help in the home and additional mobility costs, not a winter fuel subsidy.
Just over a year ago. the Government categorically refused to add “cancer” to the list of illnesses/conditions providing elligibility for free prescriptions in England – my MP had campaigned on my behalf but the Minister’s response was dismally negative. Then, all of a sudden. they changed their minds, and we have been elligible for free prescriptions since April 2009. Here’s hoping for the same u-turn on Winter Fuel Payments!
Marilyn x

Thanks Marilyn,
It’s great to hear about the free prescription battle. I am being interviewed again for BBC radio Berkshire later this evening, and I know that will come up again, so the more arguments I have the better!! My poor husband is really wishing I never agreed to do this!!
But, as you say, they can suddenly run out of steam, and maybe grant it to us. Here’s hoping…
Best wishes,
Annie

Hi again Annie
Yes, the success of the free prescriptions campaign was so heartening – BCC and many other cancer charities led this, and it shows that pooling our voices can really make a difference. Hope your interview went well. Marilyn x

It went very well, thanks, and thank you cos I used some of what you said in last post!! I had a little bit longer, and was really able to cram in a lot about what a high price we all pay for cancer, both in terms of illness and cost.
You do have to laugh though, because after my piece, the presenter said he had just had a call from someone saying that we take out life insurance for pets, so we should all be taking out critical illness plans, and the like… radio presenter just laughed and said ‘I bet I know what he does for a job!’
If you DO get insurance, they wriggle out of it in one way or another!!! The cheek of it!
Best wishes,
Jax
PS Hope to see you 21st feb, Rach? Really looking forward to it. XX