Claiming benefits if you are affected by cancer

When you are affected by cancer, you may be able to get benefits to help with extra costs and support you if you need to stop working.
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What are benefits?

Benefits are payments from the government to people who need financial help. When you are affected by cancer, you may be able to get benefits to:

  • help with extra costs
  • support you if you need to stop working.

The benefits system can be hard to understand. Sometimes the rules are complicated, and some benefits overlap in ways that affect what you get. We have information to help you get the support you need:

Who manages benefits?

These are the main organisations that manage most benefits in the UK:

  • The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) manages benefits for people who live in England, Scotland or Wales. This includes different services, such as local Jobcentre Plus offices.
  • Social Security Scotland manages some benefits for people who live in Scotland. This includes Carer Support Payment, Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment and Pension Age Disability Payment.
  • The Department for Communities (DfC) manages benefits for people who live in Northern Ireland. This includes different services, such as Jobs and Benefits offices, Social Security offices and the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

The NHS provides some benefits, such as help with health costs. Local councils provide other benefits, such as Council Tax Reduction. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) provides Child Benefit.

There are some differences in the benefits systems depending on where you live in the UK. We explain these in this information.

You can also call us free on 0808 808 00 00 to talk to a Macmillan money adviser, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

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Changes to benefits in Scotland

In Scotland, some benefits are changing.

If you live in Scotland and currently get 1 of the old benefits, you do not need to apply for the new benefit. The DWP and Social Security Scotland will move you to the new benefit without you having to do anything.

The DWP will continue to pay your benefit until you start getting the new benefit. You do not need to contact the DWP to stop your payments. To learn more, visit mygov.scot

How do I claim benefits?

How you apply depends on the type of benefit and where you live in the UK. You can find out more about benefits you may be able to claim on our benefits and financial support page.

Each benefit has rules about who can claim. You might only be able to claim a benefit for certain reasons:

  • If you have a health problem, such as cancer or cancer treatment, that makes it difficult to look after yourself.
  • If your income or savings are less than a certain amount. These are called income-related or means-tested benefits.
  • If you have paid enough National Insurance contributions. These are called contribution-based benefits or contributory benefits.
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If you are self-employed

If you are self-employed, the rules about benefits are often the same. But it can be more complicated to work out how the rules apply to you. Our Macmillan money advisers can help you understand what support you may be eligible for.
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National Insurance and benefits

National Insurance is money collected by the government. It is normally collected from your earnings (wages).

The government uses the money to pay for benefits and public services such as the NHS.

For some benefits, you need to have paid a certain amount of National Insurance to be able to claim. This includes the State Pension.

If you are not earning, or not earning a high enough amount, you do not pay National Insurance. You may be able to get National Insurance credits instead. These credits may mean you can still get contribution-based benefits and qualify for a State Pension in the future.

You can check how much National Insurance you have paid in the following ways:

Who can help me apply for benefits?

You can speak to a Macmillan money adviser by calling our Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. They are trained to help you get any benefits you may be entitled to.

You may also be able to meet a welfare rights adviser in person through a local service. This depends on where you live. Visit macmillan.org.uk/inyourarea to find out if this is possible.

Other organisations can also help you get the financial support you need. These include:

Terminal illness benefits and special rules

A person is terminally ill if their illness is likely to end their life. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the special rules apply to people who are likely to have less than 12 months to live. The rules in Scotland do not use this timeframe.

If you are terminally ill, you can apply for some benefits using a process called special rules. The process can help people nearing the end of life get easier access to some benefits.

The rules are different depending on:

  • where you live in the UK
  • which benefit you are applying for.

You can apply with special rules if your GP, doctor or specialist nurse completes a form saying you have a terminal illness.

Applying under special rules

Special rules can be used for:

If you apply for benefits under special rules, you can avoid extra assessments. You are automatically paid the higher rate, except for the mobility part of PIP and DLA. You must still apply for those parts, but the process may be shorter.

When you apply for the benefit, you must explain that you are claiming under special rules. Your doctor or nurse must also complete:

  • an SR1 form – if you are claiming ESA, PIP, DLA, AA or Universal Credit
  • a BASRiS form – if you live in Scotland and are claiming Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment or Pension Age Disability Payment.

They send the form to the organisation that manages the benefit you are applying for:

  • the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
  • Social Security Scotland
  • the Department for Communities (DfC).

If you get benefits under special rules, you usually have them for a period of 3 years. They will be reviewed again after this time if you live longer than originally expected.

In Scotland, there is no time limit for getting Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment or Pension Age Disability Payment under special rules.

The benefit cap

There may be a limit on the total amount of benefits you can get. This is called the benefit cap. It applies to most people aged 16 or over who have not reached State Pension age.

There are some exceptions to this. For example, your benefits may not be capped because of health issues or low income.

You can get a full list of the exceptions in the following ways:

Benefit cap limits

If the cap applies to you, the limit on your benefits depends on whether:

  • you live in London
  • you are single
  • your children live with you if you are single.

For more information on the amounts you can claim, visit GOV.UK.

If you live in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, some people affected by the benefit cap may get a Welfare Supplementary Payment. This payment is the same as the amount of money they have lost under the benefit cap.

To learn more about Welfare Supplementary Payments:

  • Visit NI Direct
  • call the Welfare Supplementary Payments team on 0800 587 0971 or textphone 0800 587 0973.

What information do I need when I speak to a money adviser?

It is helpful to have as much information as possible ready if you are contacting an adviser about benefits. Try to have the following information: 

  • any forms you need help with
  • details of your income – for example, recent payslips
  • if you have a partner, details of their income
  • details of any savings or investments – for example, recent bank statements
  • details of expenses such as rent, mortgage payments and council tax
  • your National Insurance number.

For health related benefits, also try to have:

  • a record of your diagnosis
  • details of your medical condition and treatments, including the names of any medications you are taking
  • contact details for your GP, your cancer doctor and any other health or social care professionals you regularly meet with.

If you already get benefits, you should also have:

  • details of any benefit payments – for example, bank or Post Office account statements, or recent award letters
  • letters about your existing benefits, including letters about any benefit applications that were not successful.

What happens if my situation changes?

If you are getting benefits, these may be affected if there are changes to:

  • your income, savings or property
  • the income, savings or property of a partner
  • the people who live with you and their financial situations
  • where you live
  • your health.

Some benefits may also be affected if you have a long stay in hospital or go abroad. This normally applies if either last for 4 weeks or more.

If you are aged under 18 on the day you go into hospital, disability benefits can be paid regardless of how long your stay is.

Not every change will affect your benefits. But if you are not sure, you should tell the service that pays your benefits about the change. Not telling them could mean you are missing out on extra money. Or you may be paid money you have to pay back.

Can I challenge a benefits decision?

If you disagree with a decision about your benefits, you may be able to ask for it to be reviewed again. For example, you might ask for this if you are refused a benefit or paid less than you think you should get.

The process varies depending on the organisation providing the benefit. Find out more about how this works:

Challenging a benefits decision can be complicated. You can speak to our money advisers by calling 0808 808 00 00, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. You may also be able to meet a welfare rights adviser in person through a local service. This depends on where you live. Visit macmillan.org.uk/inyourarea to see if this is possible.

Can I get benefits if I was not born in the UK?

The rules are complicated. You may not be able to get some benefits if you:

  • have come from another country to live or work in the UK
  • are seeking asylum.

If you have lived abroad, you may not be able to get some benefits when you first make a claim, even if you were born in the UK. They may depend on which country you and your family are from.

You can get advice from Law Centres, Advice NI and Citizens Advice. Or you could speak to our money advisers. Our Support Line has an interpretation service in over 200 languages. Call 0808 808 00 00 and say, in English, the language you want to use.

We also have a factsheet about claiming benefits, which we have translated into different languages.

Can benefits be backdated?

Some benefits can be backdated. This means you can be paid the benefit for a period before you made your claim. You need to ask for this on your application.

Not all benefits can be backdated. You should try to apply for any benefits as soon as possible or you may miss payments. You can speak to our money advisers to find out more.

About our information

This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer.

Cancer Information Development team

Author

Macmillan Welfare Rights Team

Reviewer

Date reviewed

Reviewed: 01 June 2025
|
Next review: 01 June 2028
Trusted Information Creator - Patient Information Forum
Trusted Information Creator - Patient Information Forum

Our cancer information meets the PIF TICK quality mark.

This means it is easy to use, up-to-date and based on the latest evidence. Learn more about how we produce our information.

The language we use


We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.


We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:

  • use plain English
  • explain medical words
  • use short sentences
  • use illustrations to explain text
  • structure the information clearly
  • make sure important points are clear.

We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.


You can read more about how we produce our information here.

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