Nottinghamshire mother urges end to cancer benefits wait for children

A Nottinghamshire mother is urging the government to scrap the three-month waiting period for children with cancer to claim Disability Living Allowance, citing severe financial strain after her daughter's diagnosis. Rachael's six-year-old daughter Mabel was diagnosed with a rare kidney cancer in 2023. Charity Young Lives vs Cancer reports families face an average £700 monthly in extra costs from diagnosis, with benefit payments taking an average of seven months to arrive. Rachael applied for DLA in February 2024 but was initially rejected, only receiving it a year later after an appeal, with petrol costs alone reaching £100 weekly. A parliamentary debate on the issue was held on 2 September, led by Labour MP Michelle Welsh. Minister Lillian Greenwood confirmed no current plans to remove the qualifying period, though she acknowledged ongoing work to strengthen support for affected families.