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(This is not satire – believe it or not)

The government has decided that cancer patients on chemotherapy will have to undergo tests to prove they can’t work.

This is not satire – it’s true.

Today Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs rejected an amendment which would have exempted cancer patients.

Here’s what Ciarán Devane, Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Support said about it:

“We are bitterly disappointed on behalf of the thousands of cancer patients that the Government has today failed to protect. They will now be forced to bear the brunt of the economic crisis.

“Despite mass opposition from Lords, the public, their own supporters and the whole cancer community, the Government has pushed through an unfair proposal which means thousands of cancer patients – still recovering from their illness and therefore too sick to work – will see their income drop by up to £94 a week from April.

“Following press speculation that the Government plans to use the ‘financial privilege’ rule to force through welfare reform, we seek their assurances that this will not be the case. An issue where 89% of the public believes the Government has a moral duty to protect cancer patients from welfare cuts deserves the scrutiny of both Houses.”

Here’s a link to Macmillan Cancer Support’s online petition against the government’s policies:

Time is running out to make sure that people with cancer don’t lose benefits.

And finally, to explain why the government might be doing this, have a look at this article:

Welfare reform and the US insurance giant Unum

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