"I have been signed off work now, will worry about the finances at a later stage." - Community member
Money may not be the first worry after receiving a cancer diagnosis, but we know that cancer can have a severe impact on finances. You might be spending more on everyday costs, such as energy bills or extra costs if you need to travel for cancer treatment. You may be experiencing loss of income if you’ve had to reduce your hours or stop working completely.
With increasing costs of living in the UK, we understand that this might be really worrying for people, particularly if you’re already struggling with the household bills.
"I am a carer for my wife but money is a worry how many hours can I work part time while still getting carers allowance?" - Community member
At Macmillan Cancer Support we have specialist advisors who can help when money is a worry. We can help you manage the cost of cancer.
On the Community, we regularly see members signposting others to our Support Line services. We want to make sure that everyone is aware of the support available through Macmillan when you’re coping with the financial impact of cancer. We hope this blog helps to open up the conversation and helps you find relevant support should you need it. You might also want to use the information to help you to point other members towards our Support Line teams if you feel comfortable doing so.
“ Prices of everything has gone up and I feel I am really going to struggle putting food on table as well as paying bills...”- Community member
When this Community member posted in our Ask the Expert sessions with a question around managing their finances, we were able to point them towards the Macmillan Welfare Rights team for help with accessing benefits and other financial support.
If you're worried and you need someone to talk to or emotional support, we're here for you. Talk to others on the Community about your worries, or give our Support Line a call for a chat.
If you’re feeling concerned about the cost of living crisis, why not get in touch with one of the teams today?
Welfare Rights
Our team provides advice to ensure people are not missing out on any benefits they may be entitled to. Our advisors can also check eligibility for other sources of support - including Macmillan Grants - and make referrals to other services.
The Welfare Rights team are available Monday-Friday, 8am-8pm, Saturday-Sunday, 9am-5pm. Here is how you can speak to them:
Call on 0808 808 00 00
Energy Advice
Many of us will have read about rising bills, including a record increase in the energy price cap of over 50%. Our energy specialists provide advice and information regarding energy-related costs and might be able to help you get access to special schemes. When people are struggling with energy bills our team can also check their entitlement to additional support through charitable grants.
The Energy Advice team are available Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm. Here is how you can speak to them:
Call on 0808 808 00 00
Financial Guides
Our financial guides can help people manage their money to minimise the financial impact of cancer. An assessment of needs allows our team to provide personalised guidance that can help with things like making a claim on your life insurance policy, or accessing your pension early.
The Macmillan Financial Guides are available Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm. Here is how you can speak to them:
Call on 0808 808 00 00
We'd really encourage you to keep talking and to reach out if you need further support. The Community is an anonymous space where you can share your worries and help each other find the support you need.
"The community is so good here - even speaking to strangers who are simply kind and supportive is such a help I find." - Community member
"I found the Macmillan financial help people were great in sorting out what was available and even doing the forms with me over the phone so we could get all that we are entitled to....He doesn't always understand what or why I am anxious about work and money at times but I think his brain is taken up worrying about other things." - Community member
"Macmillan were far more helpful & did the form for me." - Community member
I hope this blog has been helpful. You can find lots more information here on the Macmillan website about support with the cost of living for people with cancer.
Have a read of 'five things to do if you're worried about paying your bills' here.
We have some information about reducing your bills with energy efficiency here.
Please don't hesitate to comment below or email us at community@macmillan.org.uk if you have any questions or comments.
