Cath on financial support
'Macmillan helped me access my pension.'
Find information, articles and activities relevant to you.
If you're struggling to find what you need, call our Support line on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm)
More ways to contact usIf you're affected by cancer, thinking about pensions could be useful for many different reasons.
General information
There are different pension schemes available, including the State Pension that is paid by the government and a private pension.
General information
Since April 2015, some types of pension have become more flexible.
General information
Your pension may be affected if you take time off work, stop working or change your scheme.
General information
There are different ways of accessing your pension. This depends on the type of pension you have and your illness.
General information
The State Pension is a regular payment you can get from the government when you reach retirement age.
General information
If you die, your pension scheme may give a lump sum to your beneficiaries.
General information
A workplace pension is a pension scheme arranged through your employer. There are different types of workplace pensions.
General information
You can get free guidance from our financial guidance team, The Pensions Advisory Service, Citizens Advice and Pension Wise, or you can pay for a financial adviser.
General information
Personal pensions are often available through your workplace. But self-employed people often have them too.
General information
A defined contribution scheme is a pension that you and your employer, if you have one, pay into.
General information
A defined benefit scheme is when your employer promises to give you a pension when you retire.
General information
If the value of your pension is small, you may be able to take it as a single lump sum.
'Macmillan helped me access my pension.'
'Without Macmillan I wouldn’t have proceeded with the benefit application.'
'I used to dread the postman pushing bills through the door.'
‘After treatment, I was quoted thousands for travel insurance’
Order or download information about financial issues to have nearby when you're thinking about debt and borrowing. It can help you make decisions.
Looking for additional support with benefits and financial planning? These handy interactive tools and guides can help.
Find out where to get benefits advice and financial information near you. We provide support and advice on all aspects of welfare and benefits.
We have trained dedicated teams at Lloyds Bank, Bank of Scotland and Halifax to help customers who have been diagnosed with cancer to manage their money.
Read Aoife's post about the rights of people affected by cancer in the work place. She explains how the law can help job applicants, employees and the self-employed.
Share experiences and advice on practical issues when living with cancer, such as money, work, benefits, transport, food and drink, organising support at home, or getting specialist equipment.
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All our information is reviewed by cancer or other relevant professionals to ensure that it’s accurate and reflects the best evidence available. We thank all those people who have provided expert review for the information on this page.
Our information is also reviewed by people affected by cancer to ensure it is as relevant and accessible as possible. Thank you to all those people who reviewed what you're reading and have helped our information to develop.
You could help us too when you join our Cancer Voices Network – find out more at: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancervoices
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