A GLAZEBROOK couple fighting terminal cancer has handed a petition to Downing Street after experiencing a ‘devastating’ financial impact.

Mark and Chery Whittaker were supported by TV presenter and pundit Chris Kamara to hand in the petition calling for improved financial support for people with a terminal illness.

The couple, both aged 61, has been struggling to pay the bills and has been relying on credit cards after they were forced to give up work following Cheryl’s life-limiting diagnosis.

The petition, run by the end-of-life charity Marie Curie, has over 166,000 signatures - including more than 22,000 in the north west - and urges the government to give terminally ill people of working age access to their state pension.

Mark said: “Cheryl worked hard all her life, she worked for 30 years in a managerial role, and now just because she has a terminal diagnosis, she’ll get nothing.

“Giving Cheryl access to her state pension would give us back some dignity. It would mean we wouldn’t have to rely on benefits, it would give us a regular income and it would give us some independence.

“Our bills at the moment far too expensive, we have to have the heating on a lot and do lots of washing and drying due to Cheryl’s condition.

“Accessing her pension would truly change everything. If there was one thing I could change, that would be it. If she dies, all the money she has paid into the system can’t be accessed because she is unfortunate enough not to reach pension age. To me that is absolutely immoral.”

Warrington Guardian:

Marie Curie ambassador Chris Kamara MBE visited Downing Street to hand over the petition with the couple.

He said: “We never had much money growing up, so I understand the strain that places on a family. Marie Curie cared for my Mum just before she died in 2003. 

“I can’t imagine having to deal with both of these stressful situations at the same time but that is what everyday life has been like for the people I’ve met through this campaign.

“What terminally ill people are going through at the moment is simply not right. Extending the state pension to people with a terminal illness would make such a big difference.

“Those final weeks and months are precious. People should be spending their time making memories, not worrying about money.”

Marie Curie’s Dying in Poverty campaign has been calling for improved financial support for dying people since research found that 90,000 people die in poverty in the UK each year.

People who die in working age are twice as likely to spend their final year of life in poverty compared to people of pension age  

The charity also highlights that people who die in working age have paid their national insurance contributions for an average of 24 years.

Marie Curie says giving this group access to their state pension would substantially reduce the likelihood of a terminal diagnosis driving working-age people into poverty. The end-of-life charity is calling for urgent government action ahead of the Spring Budget.

Warrington Guardian:

Sarah Middlemiss from the end-of-life charity Marie Curie added: “The State Pension is the single biggest safeguard against poverty for people as they approach the end of their lives. But if you are unfortunate enough to die before retirement age, it isn’t accessible to you. The Government must extend access to the State Pension to all dying people, regardless of age.

“Anyone can be given a terminal diagnosis at any time. We regularly hear from terminally ill people who have had to leave the workforce, and often their partners have needed to reduce their hours too. Despite having significantly reduced income, these people still have to deal with higher-than-average energy bills and often have to pay for added costs like home adaptations or operating specialist medical equipment. That’s why, sadly, many people are pushed into poverty when they’re diagnosed with a terminal illness.

“There is simply not enough financial support available for terminally ill people. That’s why we’re here today, urging the Prime Minister to make good on his pledge to always protect the most vulnerable. We know the public support this. We know it is affordable. The Government could end this injustice in its Spring Budget next month.”