Observations

Cost of living support for leukaemia patients

1. The petition of residents of the United Kingdom,
2. Declares that more needs to be done to support leukaemia patients with the rising cost of living; further that patients have access to hospital travel nationwide so as to end the unfair postcode lottery of support; further that the current level of support with energy prices stays put, especially for leukaemia patients as they suffer a serious financial impact after diagnosis which is currently being exacerbated by the cost of living crisis; and further that wider support is made available in light of this disproportionate impact on leukaemia patients.
3. The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to take into account the concerns of the petitioners and take immediate action to ensure that all leukaemia patients are provided with: a national hospital travel fund, a continued level of support provided by the Energy Price Guarantee until after April 2023 and wider additional financial support such as discounts/tariffs on bills.
4. And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Mark Tami, Official Report, 14 March 2023; Vol. 729, c. 804.]
5. [P002814]
6. Observations from the Minister for Social Care (Helen Whately):
7. The Government recognise the need to support low-income and vulnerable households, in the context of the increasing cost of living. This is why we announced a £37 billion package of cost of living support for 2022-23, including £15 billion of targeted, direct support for the most vulnerable households.
8. The Government have announced further cost of living support for 2023-24 worth £26 billion. This includes direct cost of living payments to pensioner households, households on means tested benefits, and people on disability benefits, as well as the local authority administered Household Support Fund which provides support for people who need additional help with the cost of household essentials. In addition, benefits uprating is worth a further £11 billion to working age households and disabled people.
9. The energy price guarantee will be extended at £2,500 for an additional three months from April to the end of June. The energy price guarantee means that households will continue to pay less for their energy than they would otherwise have paid under the price cap, currently set at £3,280. By extending the energy price guarantee at its current level for an additional three months, the Government are providing a bridge until energy costs fall further, as is expected to happen from July onwards.
10. There are further sources of financial support which may be available to people with leukaemia. People on low incomes may be entitled to financial support to contribute towards their extra costs from the Department of Work and Pensions through the Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment schemes. Alternatively, if a patient is referred to hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests by a primary care professional, they may be able to claim a refund of reasonable travel costs under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS). Additionally, patients who have cancer and are undergoing treatment for either: cancer; the effects of cancer; or the effects of cancer treatment, can apply for a medical exemption certificate that entitles them to free NHS prescriptions.