Thousands of cancer patients eligible for £350 grant as cost of living crisis hits
THOUSANDS of cancer patients are eligible to cash £350 as the living cost crisis sets in.
People with the disease are faced with an onslaught of extra costs when they get a heartbreaking diagnosis.
Travel, accommodation stays and potentially the loss of work all contribute.
There are three million people living with cancer in the UK, some of whom are children.
Macmillan research shows that 83 per cent of them experience some kind of financial impact.
Some end up facing poverty, as more than one in three people with cancer (39 per cent) are severely financially affected.
Costs reach an average of £900 per month.
On top of this, families in the UK are being hit by a cost of living crisis, with eye-watering hikes in energy bills, mortgage payments, grocery bills and more.
With the pressure on people’s lives, Macmillan Cancer Support has seen a rapid increase in the number of cancer patients desperately turning to it for help.
It has therefore unveiled a £3.5million extra funding for its Financial Grants scheme.
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Macmillan said grants are means-tested, one-off payments of £350 aimed at helping people living with cancer on low incomes.
Lynda Thomas, Chief Executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Receiving the life changing news that you have cancer is already a financial wrecking ball for many.
“People face extra and often unexpected costs – from higher energy bills as people desperately try to keep warm during treatment, to the cost of travelling to and from appointments.
“The cost-of-living crisis is exacerbating these challenges and we’re hearing from more and more people with cancer worried about how they will pay their bills or put food on the table.
“That is why we are making an immediate investment into our Macmillan Grants scheme, to ensure we can continue to do whatever it takes to provide the vital support people need at this difficult time.”
In the first six weeks of the year, Macmillan has given out £1.6million in grants to cancer patients, an increase of 33 per cent on the same period last year.
Macmillan is predicting a further 16 per cent increase in the number of people with cancer applying for a grant in 2022.
The charity is urging anyone worried about money to contact the charity’s financial support teams on 0808 808 00 00, free of charge, seven days a week.
Christopher Jones, Energy Team Leader on the Support Line at Macmillan Cancer Support, says: “Every day we’re hearing from people living with cancer who are feeling the enormous pressure of the rising cost of living.
“[Some say] their costs have doubled, even before the upcoming energy price cap uplift.
“Our experts on the Support Line are reporting they’ve referred more people with cancer to food banks in recent weeks than ever before.
“People with cancer need to live, not just survive.”
How people living with cancer can manage their finances
These are Macmillan’s top tips for how people living with cancer can manage their finances during the cost-of-living crisis.
1. Look into how you can maximise your income through benefits and grant advice – billions of pounds of benefits go unclaimed each year, but remember there are several options open to cancer patients, depending on your health, household, and financial situations.
2. Let your energy and water providers know that your situation could mean your consumption may go up, or your income will go down, if you need to take sick leave.
Energy providers all have a “Priority Services Register” that can provide extra protections and adaptions for cancer patients. Some water providers can provide “Social Tariffs” to reduce monthly bills for people on low-incomes, or who have health conditions requiring them to use more water (with cancer patients who are at risk of infection, or have particular cancers such as prostate and bowel, they may need to clean bedding and clothing more frequently)
3. If you’re on a Pre-Payment Metre (PPM) and worried you may run out of credit, contact your energy provider who can possibly add emergency credit to your account.
4. While Macmillan cannot give out direct debt advice, the charity can explain the processes you will have to go through, and signpost you to the best organisations and trust funds to help with this debt.