People in South West increasingly dying in poverty, new study finds
End-of-life charity Marie Curie is calling on the Government to better support those in need
New findings from the charity Marie Curie have revealed a growing number of people in the South West died in poverty last year.
According to Marie Curie’s Dying in Poverty 2024 report, 111,000 people passed away while living below the bread line in 2023.
That's the equivalent of over 300 every day, and a 19% rise compared to four years ago.
Julie Quinn, Spokesperson for Marie Curie, said: "If anything, things are getting worse and I think that although we do focus on pensioners a lot, actually it's people of working age that are really suffering.
"There's a gentleman that my nurses are supporting at the moment; he lives in a very small little bed set, and he's terrified to turn on the heating because of the the cost of actually heating his flat, and he has advanced lung cancer.
"So the the damp really exacerbates his breathlessness and my nurses do see this on a regular basis. It's a common story."
Ms Quinn explained that for people facing terminal illness, the double impact of lost income and rising costs, particularly energy bills, often leaves families struggling to cope.
The charity is calling on the government to guarantee a pension-level income for people of working age with less than 12 months to live and to implement a “social tariff” to reduce energy bills for people nearing the end of life.
Marie Curie estimates that a social tariff halving energy bills could lift up to 54,000 people out of fuel poverty each year.
Ms Quinn said: "It's about the level of a state pension which for pensioners they can access that, but for people of a working age, the benefits that they can access are nowhere near that level.
"So a social tariff that would actually provide that kind of level of support for working age people would make such a massive difference because there are over 110,000 people who are going to die in fuel poverty, who will never reach a pensionable age."
The issue of working-age poverty at the end of life is not new, but it has worsened as cost-of-living pressures have increased.
Ms Quinn added that the increase in fuel poverty is particularly troubling due to recent Government cuts, and said: "This will affect the elderly population, maybe even hastening death for pensioners who are now experiencing fuel cuts."
You can find the full report on the Marie Curie website.
What does the Government say?
A Government spokesperson said: "No one should suffer financial hardship because of a health condition - that’s why rules are in place to ensure those nearing the end of life can claim the support they deserve in a timely manner.
"Alongside this, we are extending the Household Support Fund, uprating benefits and the State Pension, while over one million households are set to be lifted out of fuel poverty through the biggest potential boost to home energy standards in history."