Macmillan Cancer Support has highlighted continuing problems with the Personal Independence Payment, as highlighted by the Government's own Work and Pensions Committee (WPC), labelling claims backlogs as "appalling".
Following the WPC report,' Monitoring the performance of the Department for Work and Pensions in 2012-13,' Macmillan said the system was pushing people into poverty.
Duleep Allirajah, head of policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "Today's report once again brings to light the problems created by the new Personal Independence Payment.
"Since its introduction, people with cancer have faced lengthy delays and uncertainty in receiving their benefits.
"Under the old system cancer patients had to wait a maximum of eleven weeks, but many are now waiting over six months. These delays mean that thousands are going without vital financial support at a time when they are most vulnerable - for some, pushing them into poverty."
He added: "The huge backlog of claims still waiting to be processed is appalling. The Government must address these delays in the first instance as a matter of urgency and commit to publishing waiting times on a quarterly basis."
