Woman with cancer told by Government letter she would be dead in five years

A woman with breast cancer has told how she went into shock after receiving a letter from a government department telling her she would be dead within five years.

Susan Swan, 53, was awaiting the next stage of her treatment when the "bolt from the blue" landed through her letterbox.



A consultant's comments sent by the Department for Works and Pensions explaining why she had been denied disability living allowance said: "Prognosis: poor due to extensive lymph node spread, five year survival 40 per cent."

The letter sent last Tuesday, should have been sent to the Citizens' Advice Bureau which was acting for Mrs Swan, but ended up being sent to her by mistake. Now the DWP has launched an investigation to find out how the error happened.