Money worries and cancer: your stories

I’ve worked as a nurse for 35 years but had to stop work to care for my daughter when she fell ill, which has been the biggest challenge of my life.

My employer granted me carers and sick leave while Lucy was having treatment, but the pay wasn’t enough to cover the extra costs of travel and caring for a child who had difficulty moving around and caring for herself.

I already knew about Macmillan’s services, having had help when I went through my treatment for breast cancer, so felt confident turning to them for advice again.

I sat by my daughter’s bedside in the hospital talking to my Macmillan adviser Cathy over the phone and via email about applying for benefits. It was a very challenging and lengthy process.

I honestly don’t think I would have been able to complete my application without Macmillan’s support

Our financial stability depended on being able to access additional support quickly and I knew that without expert advice, and with my mind on other things, I would struggle to navigate the benefits system.

It was much easier to share information with one person who knew the system and could work out what I was eligible for. It was a weight off my mind during what was an extremely difficult year.

Find out which benefits you may be entitled to if you’re supporting someone with cancer.

I’d started receiving SSP (Statutory Sick Pay), which wasn’t nearly enough to cover my rent and heating and had read that Macmillan could help explain what other financial support might be available.

I had worked my whole life and had never claimed benefits before. I worried I might call Macmillan and they would just redirect me to another organisation, but they didn’t and it was a really lovely phone call.

They told me about the help I could receive including Universal Credit and possible council tax relief. Up to that point, I didn’t know how I would afford my heating, or pay my rent.

Calling up the Macmillan Support Line was straightforward and not as daunting as I thought it would be.

The money adviser let me talk and cry. It felt different from the more clinical, time-limited conversations I’d had in hospital. The support line was very personal and I felt I had as much time as I needed.

At the end of the conversation, I just remember feeling relief that I could cover the cost of rent and heating for another month, or at least until my Universal Credit payments kicked in.

We’re not a family who live on the breadline, but we don’t have a lot of money in the bank, and it did feel unfair that people who haven’t chosen to have a life changing diagnosis, who haven’t chosen to be out work, aren’t automatically fast-tracked to be given advice about available financial help.

Talk to someone about money worries on the Macmillan Support Line.

Learn more about Universal Credit when you have cancer.

Dan was amazing, and we cut back where we could. it was a tough time, but at least I was alive and we had each other.

I came back to work in the middle of March and I am having to rebuild my business, but just for that period of time, it was so hard. I was thinking about my health than I was about having no money to do certain things.

We are very proud people. I’ve never claimed any benefits in my 34 years of living in the UK. I didn’t want to do it and as much as Macmillan said I was entitled. They told me it’s okay and there’s no shame, I was determined to live on what we had."

Get support if you’re self-employed and affected by cancer.

Pragati was treated at Tameside Hospital which is where David Banks, the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Manager spotted her in a waiting area and asked if she needed any help.

“The Information Centre helped me with benefits. I got in touch with Kira and she told me what benefits I could get and how to sort my benefits out. She was a big help because people don't know about the benefits that you can get.

When you are overwhelmed like I was, you don't even think of benefits at that stage because your mind is blank, you don't think about anything really to be honest.”

Find out what support is available in your local area.