 "Rick" got no help with heating, because he was too young |
A cancer sufferer from Nottingham who campaigned for winter fuel payments to be extended to younger people with serious illnesses has died. The anonymous man, who campaigned under the pseudonym Rick Costello, had cancer of the pancreas and lungs. He died on Monday, aged 52.
Chemotherapy left him vulnerable to the cold but, being under 60, he could not claim the winter fuel allowance.
Terminally ill people can instead claim the Disability Living Allowance.
Mr Costello said he relied on financial support from the Macmillan Cancer charity to pay his fuel bills.
He visited the House of Commons to argue his case, saying it was unfair for younger people with serious illnesses to be denied the payment.
Cancer patients, especially those on chemotherapy, feel the cold through weight loss and treatments, he said.
According to the government, while there is no specific help with fuel bills, people who have been given a terminal diagnosis should be able to make a fast-track claim for the Disability Living Allowance.
Mr Costello, who was self-employed, is survived by his wife and three children.
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