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"Nobody should die in poverty": MP pledges support for Marie Curie campaign

Glasgow South MP, Stewart McDonald, attended Marie Curie’s drop-in event in Westminster to support the charity’s Dying in Poverty campaign.

Stewart McDonald backed the end-of-life charity’s campaign against dying in poverty and is encouraging their constituents to do the same by signing a petition online.

The petition to extend financial support for people with a terminal illness and their families already has over 100,000 signatures.

According to Marie Curie funded research from the University of Loughborough, around 90,000 people die in poverty in the UK each year, with one in four working age people dying in poverty. This makes working age people twice as likely to die in poverty than someone who lives past pension age.

The MP for Glasgow South said: “I was shocked to learn that ten people die in poverty every hour in the UK. As one of the wealthiest nations in the world this just should not be happening.

“It’s harrowing to hear about the plight of so many working people falling into poverty after a terminal diagnosis, and Marie Curie’s campaign is doing great work to highlight the areas in which financial safety nets are not suitable for the needs of dying people, especially working age people and working age parents.

“I’m proud to support this campaign and encourage everyone to sign the online petition to improve the lives of terminally ill people and their families.”