Fuel poverty hits cancer patients hard

Published on Tuesday 27 October 2009 08:46

CANCER patients in the Lothians are twice as likely to struggle to pay fuel bills than others, research has found.

A survey carried out by the Edinburgh-based Macmillan Cancer Support Scotland found that 19 per cent of patients who had undergone treatment in the last year were in fuel poverty – double the UK average.

It has led to calls by the charity for the UK government to extend its Winter Fuel Payment to cancer patients who need it and the terminally ill.

Elspeth Atkinson, Macmillan's director for Scotland, said: "It is unacceptable that people who are already struggling to cope with a cancer diagnosis are also worrying about paying their bills.

"Cancer patients tell us they feel the cold more because of their condition.

"Their bills also rise because they are spending more time at home with the heating on.

"Often all this comes at a time when patients are unable to work because they are unwell and so their income plummets."