Cancer mum calling for faster benefit system

A mum who has bowel cancer is calling for change to help cancer patients get easier access to financial support during treatment.

Bells Lewers, from Chester, is lobbying parliament after her petition to create a fast-track benefit system for those living with cancer attracted thousands of signatures.

The 56-year-old mum-of-two was turned down for assistance twice, first while undergoing chemotherapy and then after being diagnosed with cancer a second time in January 2024.

She was awarded financial support at a tribunal after nine months of waiting but said the journey had been "extremely trying in an unexpected way".

The BBC has approached the Department for Work and Pensions for comment.

She said: "Part of being a cancer patient involves filling out a lot of forms and battling the benefits system.

"I had help and support from the amazing staff at Maggies, and I still found it all bewildering, immensely stressful and, frankly, ridiculous."

Ms Lewers said most people in her situation either go back to work too soon, rely on family and friends or get themselves into debt through circumstance.

She added that the energy and the emotion it takes to make it through the benefits process, which she said is not fit for purpose, makes recovery "all the more difficult".

"No cancer sufferer wants to be doing anything other than getting back to normal life," she said.

"If you've done the right thing all your life, paying into the system, surely this is the moment you'd expect it to support you so you can get there?"

She has been supported by her two sons, Kit, 20, and Jonty, 18.

"I want meaningful change to help cancer sufferers, their medical teams and maybe even save the government hours of unnecessary admin," she said.

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