Benefits and financial support

A cancer diagnosis can change your financial situation. It may mean you need to stop working, or work less. It can also mean spending more money on things like hospital parking. But depending on your situation, you may be able to get benefits or other financial support.

If you work for an employer and take time off sick, you may be able to get sick pay. Your employer should try to support you at work. They should make reasonable adjustments to help you do your job during and after cancer treatment.

You may need help at work even after your employer has made reasonable adjustments. If you do, you can contact a government programme called Access to Work. It provides advice and practical support if you have a long-term health condition that affects the way you do your job.

You will be offered support based on your needs. This may include a grant to help cover the costs of practical support in the workplace. Visit Access to Work, or nidirect if you live in Northern Ireland.

If you are self-employed, you will not get sick pay. But you can still apply for other benefits if you cannot work or your income decreases.

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is for people under the State Pension age who have an illness or disability that affects how much they can work. You can apply for ESA if you are:

• employed
• self-employed
• unemployed
• a student.

There are different types of ESA, so it is a good idea to speak to a welfare rights adviser to see if you can make a claim.

Universal Credit (UC) is a benefit for people under State Pension age who are either of the following:

• out of work, for example because of an illness or caring responsibilities
• on a low income.

You may be able to get UC if:

• you are on a low income or out of work
• you are aged 18 or over (or 16 or over in certain cases)
• you are not in full-time education or training (unless exceptions apply, such as you get Personal Independence Payment and cannot work because of ill-health)
• you and your partner have £16,000 or less in savings between you
• you live in the UK.

Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) is for people under State Pension age or who are unemployed, but able to work. It gives you a weekly income while you look for work.

You may be able to get a tax refund if you give up work, or if your income decreases. It is also worth checking whether you are still paying the correct amount of tax if your situation changes.

Your employer may be able to organise this. You can also apply for a tax refund online or contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on 0300 200 3300.

State Pension is a regular payment you can get from the government when you reach a certain age.

The age you can get State Pension depends on when you were born. The State Pension age for men and women is increasing in stages.

Pension Credit is a benefit for people who have reached a certain age and have a low income. To get Pension Credit, you and your partner, if you have one, must both have reached State Pension age. Your partner means:

• your husband, wife or civil partner – if you live with them
• someone else you live with as a couple – without being married or in a civil partnership.

You may be able to get help with housing costs. This could include rent or mortgage payments, council tax and home adaptations.

Universal Credit (UC) has replaced Housing Benefit in most cases. You may need to apply for UC instead of Housing Benefit if you are making a new claim or there is a change in your circumstances.

Housing Benefit may help with your rent payments if you are unemployed, have a low income or are claiming benefits.

There are benefits, loans and grants available to help with the costs of housing.

Local council tax reduction schemes can help towards the cost of your council tax if you are on a low income. Council tax reduction schemes are different across the UK.

If you own your home, you may be able to apply for a loan from the government to help towards interest payments on:

• your mortgage
• loans that you have taken out for certain repairs and improvements to your home.

If you need to repair, improve or adapt your home for health reasons, you may be able to get financial help from your local council or the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

Travelling for medical appointments can be expensive if you are having regular treatment and tests. You may be able to get help with your travel costs. Or you may be able to claim back some of the money you spend when travelling for medical reasons.

There are services and schemes available if you need help when travelling. Some services are national and will be available to you, while others will be different based on where you live.

If you have problems with moving around, you may be able to get a Blue Badge. This allows you to park in parking spaces closer to where you need to go.

If you look after someone with a lot of care needs, you could be entitled to Carer’s Allowance. If you are receiving Universal Credit (UC), you might be able to get the carer element, even if you do not qualify for Carer’s Allowance.

If you get Carer’s Allowance, or the carer element of UC, you are not affected by the benefit cap.

Carer’s Credit helps prevent gaps in your National Insurance record if you have to stop working while you are caring for someone else. You need to pay National Insurance to qualify for a State Pension.

Bereavement benefits can be paid to someone whose husband, wife or civil partner has died. 

If you are making a new claim and your partner died on or after 6 April 2017, you need to apply for Bereavement Support Payment.

To get Bereavement Support Payment, you must have been under State Pension age when your partner died.

When you are dealing with benefits, you may come across lots of new words and not know what they mean.

Some of these words are explained here. If you need more information or support, you can call the Macmillan Support Line free on 0808 808 00 00.

Benefits

Payments from the government to people who need financial help.

Benefit cap

A limit on the total amount of money you can get from a benefit.

Blue Badge

A badge that allows people with mobility problems to park nearer to where they need to go.

Grant

A payment from the government or a charity to help with extra costs such as clothing or heating bills.

Income

All the money you have coming in, for example your wages, benefits or a grant.

Ill-health early retirement

This is where you are allowed to retire and claim your pension early because of your health. If you have, or have had, cancer this may apply to you.

Lump sum

A single, one-off payment, for example from your pension or an insurance scheme.

Mandatory reconsideration

A way to challenge a benefits decision if you disagree with the outcome. This is usually a first step before you can appeal a benefits decision.

Means-tested benefit

A benefit where the amount of money you get depends on your income or savings.

National Insurance

A payment you have to make while working. If you cannot work, you may be able to get National Insurance credits.

Reasonable adjustments

If you are ill, these are changes to your job or workplace that allow you to continue working or return to work.

Special rules

Rules that allow people to get certain benefits more quickly if they are terminally ill.

State Pension

A regular payment you get from the government when you reach a certain age.

Tribunal

A place where benefits appeals are heard and decided.

Workplace pension

A pension arranged through your employer.