Cancer patient benefit rules to be relaxed

Ministers are to end a distinction which meant those getting oral forms of chemotherapy and radiotherapy could be placed in categories that required them to make efforts to return to work.

The move is part of the official response to a review of controversial fit-to-work assessments and was welcomed by Macmillan Cancer Support, which led protests against the split.

Employment Minister Mark Hoban, who announced the move in a Commons written ministerial statement, said: “Treatment for cancer is changing and we need to reflect this in the benefits system.

“These changes will improve the way people with cancer are assessed and will result in more people with cancer getting the financial support they need.”

It was one of several “considerable improvements” already made to the controversial work capability assessment system as a result of the Harrington Review, he
said.

Professor Malcolm Harrington, a leading occupational therapist, was appointed as the independent reviewer of the work capability assessment procedure but announced earlier this year that he was leaving the role.

Macmillan director of policy Mike Hobday said the charity would maintain the pressure to ensure the proposed changes were put into effect.