Right to be Forgotten after Cancer

The Irish Cancer Society believes cancer survivors deserve equal access to financial products.

The Right to be Forgotten after Cancer means that people who have finished active cancer treatment do not face discrimination when seeking access to financial products and services.

Unfortunately, too many people affected by cancer find it difficult to access financial products, like life insurance, and mortgage and income protection insurance. Refusal and unfair treatment were the most common reported difficulties.

This must end.

Following the Irish Cancer Society years’ long campaign to enshrine the Right to be Forgotten after Cancer in law to protect people trying to move on with their lives after cancer, the Government has agreed to legislate.

We will continue to advocate on this issue to make sure the upcoming legislation provides cancer survivors with access to financial services and products within 5 years of their treatment ending.

The Irish Cancer Society has:

• commissioned research to gather insights from people affected by cancer to learn about the challenges they face in getting financial products/services and, their recommendations for change
• supported people living beyond cancer with their queries about access to insurance
• shared insights with Insurance Ireland ahead of their voluntary Code of Practice
• consulted with other European cancer leagues and international experts and examined legislation passed in other countries to date and studied available literature on the matter.

After years of campaigning by the Irish Cancer Society, the Programme for Government made a clear commitment to legislate for a Right to be Forgotten after Cancer for cancer survivors. The Irish Cancer Society is calling for the Government to ensure this legislation:

• provides a five-year waiting time after active cancer treatment ends, with a Reference Grid outlining shorter timeframes under five years for specified cancer types
• includes products like mortgage protection insurance, travel insurance, life insurance and income protection insurance
• ensures an agreement that after five years a person does not have to disclose their past cancer diagnosis
• has clear lines of monitoring and enforcement of the legislation
• features a review mechanism to understand how the law is working in practice.