#105 Poverty & care at the end of life with Sam Royston

Sam Royston is Director of Policy and Research of Marie Curie, the UK’s end of life charity. He was previously Policy Director at The Children's Society, and is a former chair of the End Child Poverty coalition. He is also author of the book "Broken Benefits: What's gone wrong with welfare reform". In this episode we discuss the Marie Curie 2022 Dying in Poverty report and what has changed in the two years since it’s been published. We also explore the Better end of life care report, published in September 2024, and the duel need to raise awareness and take action.

Key messages from guest

• Sam explains that people are facing poverty as a direct result of being terminally ill

• Working age people are twice as likely as pensioner to be in poverty at the end of life

• Recommendations include: if you become terminally ill during working age you should be able to access the same level of benefit and pension entitlement that you would if you were a pensioner

• We reflect on research on identifying the benefit to wellbeing of working while living with a terminal illness

• We discuss findings from theBetter End of Life Care report 2024, specifically the profound inequalities in access to support at the end of life

Resource

• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2024 on Oct17 World Poverty Day, formally known as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, is held annually on October 17. It is an international day to raise awareness about the need to end global poverty in all its forms everywhere: International Day for the eradication of poverty 17.10.2024  #poverty

• Access information about Special benefit rules for people with a terminal illness 

• Access the Dying in poverty Exploring poverty at the end of life in the UK 2022

• Access the Better End of Life Report 2024 

• Hear the podcast Working when living with a terminal illness with Joanne Smithson and Sam Royston

• Read the Supporting employees with terminal illness: a guide to workplace policies and practice 

• Read the blog Living and working with a terminal illness: what do we know and what could we do better?  

• Find out more about Poverty Proofing (and note the updated report is expected later in 2024)

• Find out more from Marie Curie

Bio: 

Sam Royston is Director of Policy and Research of Marie Curie, the UK’s end of life charity. He was previously Policy Director at The Children's Society, and is also a former chair of the End Child Poverty coalition. He is also author of the book "Broken Benefits: What's gone wrong with welfare reform".