London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 12, 2025

Cost of living: Nurse with cancer working to pay bills

Cost of living: Nurse with cancer working to pay bills

A mum has kept up her job as a nurse to pay her bills, despite being diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.

After her diagnosis in June, Kerry George from Neath has continued working as an agency nurse while undergoing chemotherapy.

Ms George said Universal Credit support alone was not enough for her family.

The Department for Work and Pensions said it had "a strong financial support system in place including Universal Credit".

Ms George, 48, is currently undergoing aggressive chemotherapy once a week after she found a lump on her breast.

She said Universal Credit wouldn't be enough to keep her family going during the winter months, so she works as an agency nurse twice a week to keep money coming in.

Typical household energy bills will rise to £3,549 a year from October, Ofgem announced on Friday.

"I worked all the way through Covid, I feel very let down. I think the whole profession has been really let down," Ms George said.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, the mum of two said: "I just can't afford to live on the money that the government has said I'm entitled to, which is £320 a month.

"The mortgage is £470 and you can't get help towards the mortgage payments, so I'm really stuck with that. I've been relying on family and the GoFundMe page to pay the last month."

Friends and family of Ms George set up the GoFundMe page to support her and she said she was overwhelmed by the response.

She continued: "I'm waiting for a Personal Independent Payment (PIP) to go through. I put in for that as soon as I found out I had cancer and I thought that would help. But there's a huge backlog, so we're still waiting for that to go through months later.

"I know I am going to become too sick to work, so hopefully that will help, but I'm just trying to save as much as I can now because I'm so worried about the rising fuel costs in the winter.

"I really don't know how anybody's going to manage to be honest."

Ms George's fiancé Gareth Jones, 39, is also unable to work at the moment as he has been caring for her


Ms George works 13-and-a-half hour shifts as a nurse and said when she goes into work she just hopes she is fit enough to make it through her shift.

She said: "I'm really conscious of catching any infection. So I'm just constantly making sure that I've got gloves, mask and an apron on at all times.

"There is a time going to come when I do get too sick to work, so I need to get some shifts in so that I have a bit spare then to go off completely."

Ms George's two daughters are aged 16 and 18. She said they are very scared about the future, but she has been as honest as she possibly can with them.

"I can't claim for them because the eldest is in university and the youngest is going to college," she said.

A DWP spokesperson said it closely monitors the progress of PIP cases awaiting assessment and takes all steps possible to ensure claimants receive the vital support they require.

They also pointed out that everyone will receive a £400 discount on their energy bills in October.

The spokesperson said: "We understand how difficult current pressures are for people with a long-term illness, that is why we have put a strong financial support system in place including Universal Credit.

"As part of our £37bn package of support to help cover rising costs , eight million low-income households will also be receiving at least £1,200 of direct payments this year.

"We urge people to check they are getting all the help to which they are entitled."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
×