April 11th, 2007

A woman from the UK has expressed her anger over the delays that her husband went through in receiving incapacity benefit from the government after he was diagnosed with the asbestos related cancer, mesothelioma. Her late husband, Stanley Moore, passed away just two weeks ago, after being diagnosed with the cancer last year.

According to his widow, Mr. Moore waited so long to receive his benefits that his first incapacity benefit check did not actually come through until the week that he died. Following the delay in administering Moore’s benefit check the Department of Work and Pensions in the UK did apologize, but no reason was provided for the delay.

His widow stated: "The only people who let us down were the benefits system. It took seven months to get his claim processed. He got it the week he died. I don't think people can appreciate the devastation a terminal illness causes. Your whole life is changed. When a disease hits a family like that that is the last thing you need. I feel very strongly on his behalf. I just think it is appalling when someone is terminally ill."

She added: "He couldn't have had better medical care. He was just let down by the benefits system. When people are on their own and have no family, what do they do?"