THE SCANDAL OF LIVING WITH A TERMINAL ILLNESS AND DYING IN POVERTY

I urged the Leader of the House to support Marie Curie’s Dying in Poverty campaign in the House of Commons this week.

This campaign seeks to secure financial support for those living with a terminal condition and their families

According to Marie Curie funded research around 90,000 people die in poverty in the UK each year, with one in four working age people dying in poverty. This makes working age people twice as likely to die in poverty than someone who lives past pension age.

In my constituency of North Ayrshire & Arran, in 2019 – the latest year for which figures are available - 87 working age people died in poverty; 26.1% of all working age people who died in the area and 172 pensioners died in poverty; 12.3% of all pensioners who died in the area

With ten people dying in poverty every hour in the UK after a terminal diagnosis, we need to extend more financial support for those reaching the end of their lives and their families.

Watch the exchange below 👇.