Macmillan Grants


Macmillan Grants are means-tested payments to help with the extra costs that living with cancer can bring. Find out how to apply.
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What Macmillan Grants are for

Macmillan Grants are a payment of £200.

They can be used to help with things like:

We have information about other grants and loans available for people living with cancer.

 

 

Who can apply

You can apply for a Macmillan Grant if you reside in the UK, are 18 or over and have a current cancer diagnosis.

All of the following must also apply:

  • You have no more than £1,000 in savings for your household
  • You have a weekly income of no more than £323 per week for a household of one person or no more than £442 per week for a household of two or more people
  • You have not already had a Macmillan Grant in the last 2 years.

Working out your income

 

When we work out your weekly income, we do not count:

  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
  • Attendance Allowance (AA).
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Contact us if you have any questions about whether you are able to apply for a grant. You can call the Macmillan Support Line to speak to a financial advisor for free, 7 days a week, 8am to 8pm.
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How to apply

We aim to make our application process as simple and quick as possible. You can apply by two ways:
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Apply by phone

Call the free Macmillan Support Line and talk to the Welfare Rights team about Macmillan Grants. They will guide you through the application process and advise how to send the application form to the Grants team at Macmillan.

You can speak with the Welfare Rights team:

  • Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
  • Saturday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm.
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Apply by contacting your healthcare team

Contact a member of your healthcare team to talk about applying for a Macmillan Grant.

This could be either:

  • a medical professional
  • a health and/or social care professional
  • a benefits advisor.

For example, this could be a social worker, a district nurse or a Macmillan nurse, if you have one.

They fill in a grant application form with you online and send it to the Grants team at Macmillan.

Next steps

  1. After your application has been submitted, the Macmillan Grants team will then process your application. They will be in touch if we need any more information from you
  2. Once your application is approved, you will receive your payment either by BACS into your bank account or by Post Office Payout.

FAQs

Read frequently asked questions about Macmillan Grants and the application process. 

Information for healthcare professionals

If you are a medical professional, a health and/or social care professional or a benefits advisor applying on behalf of someone, we have a grant application guide [PDF].

You can also find more information about the Macmillan Grants application.

Stories of how Macmillan grants have helped

Last year we gave out over £19 million in Macmillan Grants to more than 48,500 people across the UK. Here are some stories of what they were used for:

A person reading a book in a Macmillan Support Centre.
Laura, diagnosed with breast cancer

"[The Macmillan benefits advisor] then said that I could get a one off grant. I just stopped in complete disbelief. I explained that I was not able to pay it back, she told me I didn’t have to. I cried so much but this time with happiness, I could pay my rent this month and be able to buy some oil for heating."

Close up of someone filling in a Macmillan Grant application form
Linda, diagnosed with breast and kidney cancer

"One of the first things we did was put in for a Macmillan grant, which I’d never heard of, to help me cover my heating bills.

 

It was a bitterly cold winter last year and as I was taking some time to recover from my kidney operation, I was spending more time at home and keeping the heating on for longer. Though I was signed off work on sick pay, it wasn’t enough to cover the higher costs of heating my home, so the grant really did make a difference."

Other grants and financial help

There are other local and national organisations in the UK who can provide grants and loans to people affected by cancer. These include:

  • government and local council grants and loans
  • grants and loans for heating costs
  • grants and loans from charities and other organisations.

Visit our grants and loans page for more information. Or call the Macmillan Support Line for free on 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week, 8am to 8pm.

 

Other organisations who can help with grants

  • Turn2us helps people find specific charities that may be able to offer financial help. They have a grants search tool on their website and offer some grants themselves.
  • Disability Grants is a not for profit organisation which has a directory of grants and discounts for disabled adults and children.
  • The Carers Trust has information about grants and financial support for people looking after someone.

 

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Do you need this information in another language or format?

We are committed to making our website as accessible as possible, to make sure that everyone can use it.

We offer an interpretation service. If you would like to speak to someone about Macmillan grants in your language, please call 0808 808 0000 for free and tell us, in English, the language you need.

We also have cancer information available in different formats, including audiobooks, British Sign Language and easy read.

How we can help

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Our Advisors can check if you’re entitled to any additional support through charitable grants – no matter who supplies your gas, electricity and water.
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