‘Form-filling turned us into nervous wrecks’
MARK Hughes says he has struggled to navigate the “minefield of forms” needed to claim benefits since being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
He lived with the disease for 11 years before doctors told him in 2011 that it had spread to his bones and he could have as little as six months to live.
While coming to terms with the devastating news, Mark, now 59, and his wife Jane had to start the complex process of applying for financial support. He said: “We’ve had mountains to climb from day one. Jane was sitting at the table almost all day sometimes, just endless form-filling.”
Mark, of Great Wakering, Essex, says he was sent numerous letters and documents to return, often repeating the same questions.
He has faced problems with his benefits being cut or stopped without explanation and was even
His rock...wife Jane with Mark
fined for claiming dental treatment that assessors said he was not entitled to.
He said: “It’s got to the stage where every time an envelope comes through the door, we think: ‘What do they want now?’ Jane is a nervous wreck with it all.”
Mark has tirelessly supported Marie Curie’s campaigning, including delivering a petition to Downing Street.
He wants the law to be changed now so that others do not have to go through similar difficulties.
He said: “I hope I get to see the review before my time comes.”
Denmark