The financial impact of cancer and support from Macmillan Cancer Support

Support from MACMILLAN CANCER support 

The financial impact of cancer

Macmillan Cancer Support estimates that there are more than 3 million people living with cancer in the UK, and this number is expected to increase over the coming years. 

As well as the physical challenge of cancer and cancer treatment, most people find that there’s also an unexpected impact on their finances.

You may have additional travel costs for hospital visits. You may have to pay for extra childcare or for extra help around the house. You may need the heat turned up at home which is particularly acute in the winter months. Or you might have to stop working for a while, which affects your income and pension savings.

So, at a time when you should be focusing on your health, you may end up worrying more about your finances.

Scottish Widows has partnered with Macmillan Cancer Support to help customers affected by cancer, either directly themselves, or indirectly through a loved one. Together, we are here to help you get the specialist and specific help you need.

How can individuals access support from Macmillan?

Macmillan provides a wide range of services to help people affected by cancer, including emotional, practical, and financial support. 

Individuals can access support from Macmillan Cancer Support in several ways. We offer support over the phone (Support Line), via online chat forums (Online Community), online (Macmillan website) and in-person via Macmillan Professionals or support groups. 

We are one of the largest hubs of cancer information in the UK and our website is visited by thousands of people looking for support and answers to their questions about cancer.

Head to our website as a first point of call and you’ll find a huge range of information and access to other support services such as the Macmillan Support Line number, ‘In Your Area’ function and Online Community to name a few.

What support can individuals expect to receive from Macmillan and at what stages of a cancer diagnosis?

Macmillan provides services to support people living with cancer at every stage of their cancer experience. Some of the direct services available are:

Macmillan Professionals:

Macmillan professionals are experts in providing cancer care. There is a wide number of professionals who are based in hospitals, in primary care settings as well as in the community.

Together, they listen to patients and deliver the right care at the right time. Macmillan Professionals include Clinical Nurse Specialists, GPs, AHPs, Benefits Advisors and Information and Support Professionals.

Macmillan Support Line:

The support line offers confidential support to people affected by cancer. From answering clinical questions to helping ease money worries, our trained teams provide vital support and guidance to everyone who needs it. People with cancer can access this over the phone, email or webchat, and it is open 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm. You can find contact details on our website’s homepage. 

Online Community:

The Online Community is a safe website where people living with cancer can share their experiences and find emotional and practical support from others in a similar situation. The Online Community can be accessed through the Macmillan website at any time, day or night. It can be used anonymously, in confidence and from the comfort of your own home. People of all ages and regardless of where they are in their cancer experience can use the community to talk about anything cancer related.

Macmillan website:

The Macmillan website contains a wealth of information, including information on different cancer types, tests and screening, getting diagnosed, treatments, living with cancer, and on end of life care. People with cancer can create an account that will help personalise the content that is relevant to them. Macmillan In Your Area is found on the Macmillan website and helps to identify local services that benefit people living with cancer by searching on a place, town or postcode

Macmillan Information and Support Centres:

Cancer Information and Support Services give people with cancer the opportunity to ask questions and talk through their concerns with specialist staff and trained volunteers, and some centres run workshops, have counselling services, and run support groups. Many services are delivered within dedicated Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Centres, hospitals, hospices, libraries and other community locations, and aim to provide 'time-out' from more formal clinical appointments. People can also pick up booklets, leaflets and other information free of charge.

What types of financial support, such as grants, is available to individuals who are impacted by cancer?

There are 5 key types of need that people living with and affected by cancer are most likely to reach out for help with and financial support is one of them.

A cancer diagnosis can be tough on a person’s finances. It may mean they need to stop work or reduce their hours. And they may have to spend more on everyday costs like heating and travel to hospital appointments.

• 83% of people with cancer experience some kind of financial impact from their diagnosis. For these people, the average impact is £891 per month.

Often, the financial support available is not sufficient to mitigate the overall financial impact of receiving a cancer diagnosis. It can result in people feeling nervous, stressed, anxious and not being able to control their worrying.

To help prevent the financial impact of cancer turning into a crisis, we offer a range of financial support.

• Macmillan Welfare Benefits Advice Services are available to help people affected by cancer access the financial support, tax credits, and grants they are entitled to. Customers can get easy to understand, impartial advice tailored to their specific circumstances, and this can be accessed both face-to-face and remotely. The services are in partnership with Citizens Advice Bureau, NHS trusts, local authorities and other organisations. Specially trained advisors assess the customer’s needs and what they’re entitled to and help them to fill out the relevant application forms, which can often be complicated and confusing. They help minimise delays by ensuring people don’t waste time filling out incorrect forms or make mistakes on their application. Advisors can also track the application process and ensure any issues are resolved so the person with cancer receives financial support as quickly as possible.
• Macmillan Grants are one-off payments of £200 to help people on low incomes who need immediate support with costs caused by or related to their cancer. They are used to buy specific items such as specialist equipment or to meet other unmet needs, including paying for travel to the hospital or help paying their heating bill.
• Macmillan’s specialist Money and Work teams on the Support Line can provide financial guidance on mortgages, pensions, insurance & savings, welfare benefits advice, energy advice and work support.

What support is available to individuals to support them returning to work following an illness and treatment?

For many people, returning to work when they feel ready is a big step in their recovery. It can help you:

• get back into a routine
• feel a sense of normality
• feel more financially secure

You may feel nervous about doing your job well or how people will react to you returning to work, however. You might still be coping with side effects or difficult feelings. Or you may feel too well to stay at home but not quite well enough to deal with work pressures.

Your employer can do lots to support your return to work, so it is also helpful to talk to them. There’s lot of support on the Macmillan website to help you talk to your employer if you’re impacted by cancer. 

There’s also the Macmillan Work Support Team who can help you.

This is a service that’s open to anyone affected by cancer, whether they are employed or self-employed. This includes people working while supporting someone with cancer. The Work Support Service can help you to understand your options at work if you are supporting someone with cancer. Or you have just been diagnosed and need more information about adjustments at work, sick pay or taking time off. We can also refer people who need it to one-off legal advice.

You can contact the Macmillan Work Support Team by calling 0808 808 00 00