The government’s refusal to raise benefits is forcing those facing the final days of their lives to choose between food and warmth
“I’ve had to heat up rice and put it in a pillowcase to keep patients warm.” These are the shocking words of Beth Namara, an end-of-life nurse.
And here’s Victor, who has terminal cancer and lost his job during the pandemic. “I haven’t got enough money, really, to live. I often borrow from loan sharks, for which you can borrow £20, pay back £40 – that sort of thing. I’ve had days where I’ve got no food in my cupboard.”
Helen Barnard is associate director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and research and policy director at Pro Bono Economics
