A single mother diagnosed with cancer just 10 days into her dream teaching job is calling for changes to the "woefully insufficient" welfare system.

Claire Oliver, who lives in Canterbury with her two daughters, has had to step away from work at one of the city's grammar schools while she undergoes gruelling treatment for breast cancer.

The 46-year-old had only started in September after five years of juggling her studies with work and parenting.

She says she is now surviving on just £92 a week to pay for rent, food and bills out of the paltry statutory sick pay.

“I’m really good at managing money, but this is taking it to another level,” she said.

“Because I’m a new employee, I’m entitled to five weeks full pay and then statutory sick pay of just £92 a week.

“That lasts 28 weeks so at the end of April that will stop. I’m unlikely to be able to go back to work until September so I don’t know what I’ll do until then.”

Ms Oliver, who lives in St Dunstan's, says she is in the process of filling out countless forms to claim different benefits to help her while she is unable to work.

“I’ve applied for housing benefit, but this doesn’t cover all of my rent,” she said.

“The government needs to recognise the problem.

“The cost of living is ridiculously high and when you look at the capping of the housing benefit there is no correlation between what you’re entitled to and what current rent is.

“Rents have increased 10-fold over the last few years yet housing benefit hasn’t.”

Ms Oliver, who studied for a degree, then a Masters, before completing her PGSE while raising her children alone, says finding out she has breast cancer made her world crash down around her.

She worked as a cleaner while studying and was previously an estate agent, and now says it is a struggle to pay for food and other necessities for her two daughters, who are 11 and 14.

She says it has also been exhausting trying to organise her financial situation while recovering from a mastectomy and removal of her lymph nodes, ahead of the start of a six-month course of chemotherapy and then radiotherapy.

"The cost of living is ridiculously high and when you look at the capping of the housing benefit there is no correlation between what you’re entitled to and what current rent is" - Claire Oliver

“I’ve filled out nine forms so far, all with evidence, and it’s really frustrating - why can’t there be one centralised database?” she said.

“I’m pretty astute and I have access to a computer but what about those who don’t?

“Everything is very much on the individual to sort things out when they’re at a very low point in their life.”

Ms Oliver’s friends have set up a fundraising page to help raise money for her but she admits it makes her feel embarrassed.

“Having at the age of 46 to be inadvertently asking for money is awful,” she said.

“I’m very independent and for someone that has always worked hard, never been in debt, I feel shame.”

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