My name's Sean Conroy, I work for the Welfare Rights Team within Macmillan Cancer Support.

We run a helpline, with advisers, that covers the whole of the UK and Northern Ireland,

just helping people affected by cancer, making sure we maximise their income for them.

The benefits system is very confusing,

and I know that Macmillan did some research back in 2000

which led to the opening of the helpline here in 2003.

The research that they completed said the second biggest worry of a cancer patient

was the actual financial worry that cancer diagnosis brought,

whether it be through loss of work, loss of income,

loss of other family members' income because they were giving up work to care for the cancer patient.

There are over 50 benefits out there within the welfare state

A lot of the benefits are dependent upon the person's income.

There are benefits that are dependent on disability and how that disability affects that person.

A lot of cancer patients, when they are going through treatment, actually suffer from the cold a lot more

whether it's through chemotherapy or radiotherapy,

they've got a reduced income and higher heating bills.

So the big worry is how are they going to pay for those bills?

Most of the advisers here have years and years of training behind them.

A lot of the advisers have come from CAB backgrounds,

so they've worked through Citizens Advice Bureaus, they've done the holistic advice.

They've also got advisers from housing backgrounds, from local authority backgrounds

and we share that knowledge among us.

Cancer is now classed as a disability. The employer has to put certain things in place

to ensure that they can continue with work, if they choose to continue.

Often cancer patients will ring us up from the day of the first diagnosis.

The disability benefits are there for them,

but there are certain criterion that need to be met prior to actually claiming those,

unless people have a poor prognosis and then there is a fast-track way of claiming benefits.

Generally how many benefits are accessed is, we send the forms out from this office,

so we are an accredited office with the DWP.

We can go through the forms with them over the phone.

If they are unable to do that over the phone, we'll ask them to send the forms to us,

we'll then contact them, go through the forms with them over the phone,

and we'll fill them in for them, as long as they've signed them.

So it's a really in-depth service, we do a full case work service.

There is a carer's allowance that certain people can claim

but it is dependent upon the person they are caring for, what benefit they are receiving.

I would always suggest that people seek advice through ourselves or another advice agency

before claiming for carer's allowance because it can have a negative effect

on the person that they are caring for's benefits as well.

I think people have got enough on them from the time of diagnosis, without worrying

about the financial problems as well that are connected with that.

So I would always suggest, if you are looking at seeing what your benefit entitlement is,

you always come through to the Macmillan Support Line.

There is team of Specialist Welfare Rights Advisers on the other side of the line

that can guide you through your cancer journey.

For information, help, or if you just want a chat

call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00 or visit Macmillan.org.uk