Lauren Biddle, from Redditch, was aged simply 41 when her husband, Andy, died from secondary stage 4 most cancers in 2024. Andy, who has been described as a "sensible" husband and pa, had been to see his GP a number of occasions earlier than his prognosis attributable to issues over a swollen abdomen. Lauren Biddle …
Lauren Biddle, from Redditch, was aged simply 41 when her husband, Andy, died from secondary stage 4 most cancers in 2024.
Andy, who has been described as a “sensible” husband and pa, had been to see his GP a number of occasions earlier than his prognosis attributable to issues over a swollen abdomen.
Lauren Biddle stated: “Andy wasn’t taken severely. By mid-January, his abdomen was big, and he was ultimately referred to the QE. At first, they have been impolite and standoffish, however the subsequent morning, it was very totally different. I knew what they have been about to inform us wasn’t good.”
Andy needed to have 5 litres of fluid drained from his stomach, and after a PET scan, he was instructed in the midst of February 2024 that he had secondary stage 4 most cancers of an unknown main supply.
Ms Biddle stated the household weren’t instructed that it was terminal till the appointment for his therapy plan, once they discovered Andy solely had 16 months to dwell with chemotherapy.
After present process two chemotherapy remedies to assist lengthen his life, Andy was admitted to hospital in mid-April 2024, however the household have been instructed there was nothing extra medical doctors may do.
Ms Biddle stated: “The chemo made him actually poorly. The load was dropping off him and he was making an attempt to eat, however he could not preserve it down. He spent the final two weeks at Primrose Hospice, who have been wonderful. Earlier than that, they might see him within the day as he needed to have fluid drained after which they might let him come house.
“He died on Could 7 after a really brief battle together with his most cancers. He was an excellent dad and a tremendous husband.”
After Andy’s loss of life, the younger household have been left with little to no monetary assist and Ms Biddle, who’s a professional therapist and works at a college, has criticised the modifications to assist for bereaved mother and father since 2017.
In April 2017, Widowed Dad or mum’s Allowance was changed with Bereavement Assist Cost.
Underneath the earlier system, assist continued till the youngest baby turned 18, however underneath the brand new system, widowed mother and father solely obtain the assistance for 18 months.
Ms Biddle, who’s backing the Widow’s Battle marketing campaign to name for pressing authorities reform, stated: “A change from 18 years to 18 months is an enormous distinction for households. Some girls on the marketing campaign have been pregnant when their associate died, in order that they’ve misplaced out on much more years of assist.
“Funds for bereaved mother and father are usually not the identical as advantages. It isn’t from the identical pot of cash. The cash is from the Nationwide Insurance coverage contributions that our companions constructed up and have been entitled to, however won’t ever draw from as they may by no means obtain their pension.
“This cash may very well be going in direction of serving to us assist our youngsters like they have been pre-2017.”
Campaigners have estimated that the change to the bereaved assist funds signifies that there was a 92 per cent discount in assist for some households.
Ms Biddle, who has twin boys, aged 7, a son, aged 10 and a daughter, aged 16, stated her husband was “scared” when he died concerning the monetary influence it could have on his younger household.
She stated: “We’re residing day-to-day and month by month. I labored as a therapist, however I ended when Andy died, as I do not really feel like I may also help others after I’m coping with such an unimaginable loss and making an attempt to assist 4 kids by their grief.
“Individuals assume that when a associate dies, you will be entitled to obtain all this assist, however that is not the fact. So many households are affected on daily basis by the lack of a mum or dad and a associate, however the system makes you’re feeling like you need to recover from it inside 18 months.
“Grief is just not linear, it is a whirlpool. Some days it might probably subside, however most days, it might probably overwhelm you. It isn’t solely me, it is my kids. They’re grieving for his or her dad, and as they become older, they may grieve the issues they’ve missed out on with him. My daughter has been doing her GCSEs, and generally you suppose, what would they’ve seemed like if Andy was nonetheless right here?”
Ms Biddle, who was with Andy for 14 years and bought married in 2022, claimed Common Credit score, however Bereavement Assist Cost is considered for the final six months.
She stated: “Andy nonetheless continued working when he was first recognized, as we could not afford for him to and did not realise we may declare PIP. Once we did make a advantages declare, we did it as a joint couple, so when he died, I bought in contact with them right away to ask them to make changes. I instructed them I ‘did not need to be left in a pickle’.
“Regardless of this, the subsequent fee did not come by on time and after I chased them up, they instructed me I hadn’t instructed them in ample time. He had died within the morning, and I would contacted them that very same night. It was appalling. I used to be left having to borrow cash from my mum because it took them 5 weeks to pay me.
“I do work, however after I tried to assert Common Credit score, they stated I labored too little hours and have been pressuring me to job hunt for the additional hour every week. It was ridiculous, I’ve 4 grieving kids and I’m struggling – there was no compassion. The system is failing bereaved households.”
Caroline Sales space, whose husband Steve died from most cancers in 2025, is spearheading the Widows Battle marketing campaign, with a number of widowed mother and father happening to Parliament earlier this month to demand pressing reform of the present bereavement assist system.
This consists of extending the Bereavement Assist Cost past 18 months, growing funds consistent with inflation and higher recognising the long-term influence of parental bereavement on kids.
She stated: “The system is pushing households into monetary hardship, and the modifications to Widowed Dad or mum’s Allowance is penalising the kids probably the most. My children all do soccer and dance golf equipment. I needed to inform them they could not go anymore as we could not afford it, however fortunately, the golf equipment have been wonderful and canopy the prices, so my children do not miss out.
“All kids need is to really feel like another baby – getting out of the home and taking the youngsters to their golf equipment is a haven for us. It distracts us even when it’s only for a number of hours every week. I don’t know what we’d do with out that assist. It actually helps the kids with their psychological well being.
“Dropping a associate and a mum or dad isn’t a alternative. It’s not truthful. I’ve bought a tremendous household assist system round me, however not everybody has that. After 18 months, even if you happen to’ve paid off your mortgage or have assist in direction of hire, your different payments are all the identical, however you’ve misplaced half your earnings.”
Campaigners say no baby ought to face a monetary cliff edge as a result of a mum or dad has died.
A petition has been arrange which has already amassed over 100,000 signatures and can now be thought-about for a debate in Parliament.
To signal the petition go to petition.parliament.uk/petitions/752501
A spokesperson for the DWP stated: “Dropping a cherished one is devastating and we perceive the monetary influence it might probably have on households.
“Bereavement Assist Cost supplies brief time period monetary assist, with larger quantities paid for these with kids.
“Extra broadly, this authorities helps to drive down the cost-of-living by the primary ever sustained above inflation improve to Common Credit score, eradicating the two-child restrict impacting 510,000 households, and initiatives akin to elevating the Nationwide Minimal Dwelling wage and taking cash off power payments.”
