Chris Kamara petitions Downing Street to change pensions rules for dying patients

He was joined by two terminally ill campaigners who are experiencing the financial hardships that come with a terminal diagnosis.

The petition, run by the end-of-life charity Marie Curie, has over 166,000 signature and urges the Government to give terminally ill people of working age access to their State Pension.

Marie Curie’s Dying in Poverty campaign has been calling for improved financial support for dying people since research found that 90,000 people die in poverty in the UK each year. People who die in working age are

twice as likely to spend their final year of life in poverty compared to people of pension age.

Marie Curie ambassador Chris Kamara MBE said: “We never had much money growing up, so I understand the strain that places on a family.

"Marie Curie cared for my Mum just before she died in 2003. I can’t imagine having to deal with both of these stressful situations at the same time but that is what everyday life has been like for the people I’ve met through this campaign.

“What terminally ill people are going through at the moment is simply not right. Extending the State Pension to people with a terminal illness would make such a big difference. Those final weeks and months are precious. People should be spending their time making memories, not worrying about money.”

Mum-of-two Tammy Prescott, 43, who has terminal stomach cancer said: “My diagnosis is having a devastating impact on our finances as a family. I had to give up a job that I loved, I’ve gone through 19 rounds of chemotherapy, and now we don’t have the money or time to make special memories together.

"My husband has to work every hour God sends to be able to keep up with our mounting bills. It’s a nightmare.

“I’ve worked hard my whole life but I won’t live until I’m 65. So why shouldn’t I be allowed to access my State Pension?

“If I could draw my pension, we would have some money leftover at the end of the month to spend on something other than bills. That money would be life changing. We could go on a trip to the seaside. Just little things like that would mean so much to me and my kids.”

Sarah Middlemiss from Marie Curie said: “Anyone can be given a terminal diagnosis at any time. We regularly hear from terminally ill people who have had to leave the workforce, and often their partners have needed to reduce their hours too.

"Despite having significantly reduced income, these people still have to deal with higher-than-average energy bills and often have to pay for added costs like home adaptations or operating specialist medical equipment. That’s why, sadly, many people are pushed into poverty when they’re diagnosed with a terminal illness.

“There is simply not enough financial support available for terminally ill people. That’s why we’re urging the Prime Minister to make good on his pledge to always protect the most vulnerable. We know the public support this. We know it is affordable.

"The Government could end this injustice in its Spring Budget next month.”