A quarter of working age Scots die in poverty every year

New research finds over 8,000 Scots die in poverty each year

- Working age people twice as likely to die below the poverty line as pensioners

- Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire and Dundee most at risk

- Charity launches campaign to end poverty at the end of life

In light of new research revealing that 8,200[1] people a year die in poverty in Scotland, end of life charity Marie Curie is calling for ending poverty at the end of life to be a key priority for the Scottish Government and Westminster.

The charity revealed the shocking statistics today (12 May) in a new report based on research from Loughborough University.

It found that people of working age in Scotland who are terminally ill are at a high risk, with over a quarter of this group dying in poverty[2], rising to over a third in Glasgow, Dundee and West Dunbartonshire. Terminally ill people with dependent children are also more likely to experience poverty at the end of life than those without children.

This makes those who die at working age more than twice as likely to die in poverty than those who live past pension age[3].

Having to reduce or give up work, combined with the added costs of living with a terminal illness, such as higher energy bills and paying for home adaptations and care, all contribute to the likelihood of financial hardship amongst this group. [4].

Alongside these research findings, Marie Curie is launching its Dying in Poverty campaign and petition, calling for a range of measures to help terminally ill people who are struggling with the cost of living at the end of their lives.

Whilst Marie Curie have welcomed that in future terminally ill people in Scotland will no longer have to prove they have less than six months to live to be fast-tracked for disability benefits, the charity warns that further action is urgently needed to ensure no one in Scotland dies whilst living in poverty.

The charity is calling for the Scottish Government to commit to increasing the Child Payment for terminally ill claimants with dependent children, extending eligibility for the upcoming Scottish Carer's Assistance for up to six months after the person's caring role ends, and extending eligibility of the upcoming Winter Heating Assistance to all terminally ill people, even if they are under 65 years old.

Marie Curie is also calling for terminally ill people of working age across the UK to get early access to their State Pension, saying that the benefits system for working age people who are dying fails to protect them from falling below the poverty line.

Melanie Armer, 48, was diagnosed with terminal metastatic bone cancer in March 2021. She lives in the Highlands with her husband and her seven-year-old son. She says:

"I've got a really aggressive form of cancer and we just can't control it. My biggest fear is that I won't have enough money to sustain us. I have a seven-year-old son and we're having to cut back on food, electricity, and gas. We're having to now see if we can get nurses to come round and take my bloods here instead of going to the hospital - just to try and save money on petrol.

"With the rising heating bills, it was never a problem before, but it's how it is now. I've already started stockpiling blankets and hot water bottles for next winter. I can't even rely on things like electric blankets because of the cost of electricity going through the roof. I live in the Highlands of Scotland, which is a colder climate and as soon as my bones get cold, they hurt. It's very painful. We have to keep the house warm, but with the energy prices going up we can't do that. There's no way we're going to be able to afford it. The UK Government needs to address these issues – for everyone out there in my situation."

Ellie Wagstaff, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Marie Curie in Scotland, added:

"This research is sobering and has truly laid bare the extent of poverty at the end of life in Scotland. Being terminally ill and reaching the end of life can substantially increase a person's risk of experiencing poverty, and decades of structural inequality has been a driving factor in one in four working age people, and one in eight pensioners in Scotland, dying in poverty at the end of life.

"The 'double burden' of income loss and increased costs brought on by a terminal illness can leave people struggling to make ends meet, and force those who were already on the threshold, below the poverty line, especially terminally ill people with dependent children.

"There is an urgent need for systematic reform from Scottish Government and Westminster to ensure that terminally ill people, their families and carers are not faced with unprecedented financial hardship in the final years, months, weeks, days and hours of their lives. This will require a whole-system approach, collaboration and transformative leadership on national and local levels."

Across Scotland, the Glasgow had the highest proportion of both working age people and pensioners who experienced poverty in their last year of life (35% working age people died in poverty and 17.5% pensioners died in poverty), followed by other local authority areas; Aberdeen (28% and 13.5%), Edinburgh (27.5% and 13%) and Inverclyde (27% and 13%)[5].

If you believe that nobody should die in poverty sign Marie Curie's petition calling for government action mariecurie.org.uk/poverty

-Ends-

Editors' Notes

References for statistics

[1] 90,000 people a year die in poverty in the UK, with 8,200 people in Scotland: Dying in Poverty report, page 13

[2] People of working age who are terminally ill are at a high risk, with over one in four (26.5%) of this group dying in poverty: Dying in Poverty report, page 13

[3] Those who die at working age more than twice as likely to die in poverty than those who live past pension age: Dying in Poverty report, page 13

[4] Costs rising as much as £16,000 a year: 00962-cost-of-dying_financial-impact-report.pdf (mariecurie.org.uk)

[5] Estimated proportion of people experiencing poverty in the final 12 months of life in 2019 by age group and local authority. And, proportion claiming working age benefits 2016 (Source: Nomis; Official Labour Market Statistics; Out of Work Benefits).

Regional data tables – available upon request.

Definition of poverty

The researchers have used the Social Metrics Commission (SMC) definition of poverty for this work which considers the extent to which someone's resources, after housing costs, meet their needs. This measure considers so-called 'inescapable costs' such as childcare and disability, which some households face and that make them more likely to experience poverty. It also considers all available financial resources a household has, such as savings or investments, in addition to income from earnings and benefits. These adjustments produce a measure of 'Total Resources Available' for a household. The SMC decided to use the threshold of 54% of the three-year average of median Total Resources Available. In 2020 the Department for Work & Pensions evaluated the Social Metrics Commission's work and concluded that it could form the basis of a new measure of poverty for official statistics.

Methodology

The Centre for Research in Social Policy combined administrative data for the UK on mortality rates at different ages, with survey data that allows estimates of a) the poverty rates in the general population at different ages, and b) the relationship between poverty and mortality among individuals and households. The researchers also investigated how people move into poverty at the end of life through conducting sequence analysis and event history analysis on data from the Understanding Society household survey.

About Marie Curie

Marie Curie is the UK's leading end of life charity.  The charity provides essential nursing and hospice care for people with any terminal illness, a free support line and a wealth of information and support on all aspects of dying, death and bereavement. It is the largest charity funder of palliative and end of life care research in the UK. Marie Curie is committed to sharing its expertise to improve quality of care and ensuring that everyone has a good end of life experience. Marie Curie is calling for recognition and sustainable funding of end of life care and bereavement support.

Please note we are 'Marie Curie' (not 'Marie Curie Cancer Care').

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