Action needed to help Scots facing poverty at end of their lives – charity

Urgent action is needed to tackle the problem of the thousands of Scots who face poverty at the end of their lives, a society has said.

The call came as a report from Marie Curie Scotland revealed that 6,400 terminally ill Scots are spending their final months in poverty.

The report, Dying in Poverty 2025, showed that every year in Scotland the equivalent of one in four working-age people and one in six pensioners will face poverty at the end of their lives.

The report shows end of life poverty has stagnated in Scotland and has not improved over the five-year period 2019-2024.

Most affected areas such as Glasgow City, West Dunbartonshire, Dundee City, North Ayrshire, and Inverclyde are where end of life poverty rates rise to one in three working-age people and one in five pensioners.

Ellie Wagstaff, senior policy manager at Marie Curie Scotland, said: “Too many people in Scotland are dying in poverty. No one should spend their final days worrying about money or whether they can afford to heat their home or run vital medical equipment.

“These people are dying – they don’t have time to wait for change.

“We need urgent action from Scottish, local and UK Governments. They have a duty of care to protect one of the most vulnerable groups in our society.”

The findings also highlight those facing fuel poverty with 7,700 terminally ill people spending their last year struggling to heat their homes.

Another finding was that minority ethnic groups are disproportionately affected by end of life poverty in the UK with 46% of working age, ,lack people and 45% of work age Asian people dying in end-of-life poverty, compared to 25% of white people.

Marie Curie is urging the Scottish Government to make changes including working with Social Security Scotland to maximise benefit uptake and work with local authorities and Cosla to exempt terminally ill people from council tax.

The charity is also calling for the UK Government to guarantee terminally ill people of working age a state pension level of income, alongside implementation of a social tariff to provide at least a 50% reduction on energy bills.

Mary, from Rutherglen, has incurable cancer and said she is struggling to make ends meet.

She said: “I am living with incurable cancer, and we struggle now my husband has become a pensioner and has had his carers allowance taken off him even though he still looks after me.

“We have to pay full rent still, and we are struggling to make ends meet.”

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “This report makes clear some of the deeply distressing financial challenges people endure when confronting a terminal illness and it will be carefully considered.

“In our Scottish benefits system, we have a dedicated fast-track application route for people who are terminally ill and they are automatically entitled to the highest rate of Scottish disability benefits.

“Meanwhile, our Funeral Support Payment of £1,279 is designed to reduce funeral poverty and is almost £300 higher than the UK equivalent.

“Furthermore, where a home is empty because the occupier is receiving care elsewhere for their illness, they can receive a full Council Tax exemption. Our Council Tax Reduction Scheme ensures that nobody in Scotland should have to meet a council tax bill they cannot afford.”