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divdiv class=story-body readability=24 span class=story-date#13; span class=date2 November 2013/span#13; span class=time-textLast updated at /spanspan class=time10:24 ET/span#13; #13; /span#13; #13; #13; #13; #13; #13; #13; #13; p class=introduction id=story_continues_1Hundreds of terminally ill cancer patients face waiting weeks and months for their income support because of a new payments system, a leading charity has warned./p#13; pMacmillan Cancer Support described the situation as appalling./p#13; pGovernment attempts to simplify the system mean payments that previously took eight to 10 days are now taking eight to 10 weeks, the charity said./p#13; pThe Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) questioned Macmillan's figures./p#13; span class=cross-head'Survive on nothing'/span#13; pA new system for disability benefit claimants was introduced in April. Personal Independence Payments (PIPs) are replacing the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in what ministers say is a simplification of the system./p#13; pBut Macmillan say early indications from their advisers working in hospitals and citizens advice bureaux are that the changes have left hundreds without support./p#13; pKeith Boyd, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in May, told the BBC the delay made him feel like a second-class citizen./p#13; div class=story-feature narrow#13; a class=hidden href=#story_continues_2Continue reading the main story/a h2 class=quote“spanStart Quote/span/h2#13; blockquote readability=1p class=first-childThere's no robust statistics that there are hundreds of cases of delays”/p/blockquote#13; span class=endquoteEnd Quote/span#13; span class=quote-creditDepartment for Work and Pensions/span#13; #13; #13; /div p id=story_continues_2Mr Boyd said he waited three months without income after applying for support - despite his doctor saying he should be a priority./p#13; pPeople were telling me I was entitled to this benefit but nobody was paying it... If you had children and you were trying to survive on nothing, I don't know how you would do it./p#13; span class=cross-head'No commitment'/span#13; pBut a spokeswoman for the DWP said under the new PIPs, terminally ill cancer patients were fast-tracked and that under the previous system claimants had to fill in a 40-page form./p#13; pShe said there were no robust statistics to back-up Macmillan's claim that the change had caused delays for hundreds./p#13; !-- Embedding the audio player --#13; !-- This is the embedded player component --#13; #13; #13; #13; #13; #13; #13; #13; !-- wwrights check --#13; !-- Empty country is used on test environment --#13; #13; #13; #13; div class=audioInStoryC#13; div id=emp-24785115-56391 class=emp#13; #13; #13; noscript#13; div class=warning readability=1#13; img class=holding src=http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/70865000/jpg/_70865018_70864936.jpg alt=Cancer chemotherapy/pstrongPlease turn on JavaScript./strong Media requires JavaScript to play./p#13; /div#13; /noscript#13; #13; !-- embedding script --#13; #13; /div#13; #13; #13; #13; #13; /div#13; !-- end of the embedded player component --#13; #13; !-- Player embedded -- pMacmillan aren't comparing like with like as DLA and PIP are completely different benefits with different claim processes./p#13; p[The charity has] acknowledged that improvements in the system have been made since the new benefit was introduced in April and we continue to work with them to further streamline the process./p#13; pMacmillan's director of policy and research Mike Hobday told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: The principle of a fast-track process for terminally ill patients... is still there but the fact that the processing time has gone from eight-to-10 days to eight-to-10 weeks really is appalling./p#13; pHe said the charity was talking to DWP officials about the delays but added there was no sign of a commitment to what the timescale should be./p#13; pClaims from other terminally ill patients without cancer who qualify for the enhanced PIP rate are also fast-tracked and do not require a face-to-face consultation, the DWP says./p#13; pOver the next few years the government is replacing DLA - claimed by 3.2m people - with the new PIP system. /p#13; div class=comment-introduction readability=-49#13; p class=introductionAre you in a similar situation? Has your income support been delayed because of the new payments system? Send us your stories and experiences using the form below./p#13; #13; /div#13; #13; #13; #13; #13; /div/divbrbrcentera href=http://www.wizardrss.comPowered By WizardRSS.com/a | a href=http://www.wizardrss.comFull Text RSS Feed/a | a href=http://www.amazon.com/RFID-Blocking-Cards-Identity-Protector/dp/B00CJHZLEWRFID/a | a href=http://www.wpzonbuilder.comAmazon Affiliate/a/center