Financial support

We can help with money worries

“When I was made redundant I turned to the Macmillan Benefits Helpline. They talked to me like a proper person and made it so easy to get the help I was entitled to.”

Karen Theobold

When you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with cancer, money might not be one of the first things you think about. But having cancer can be expensive in ways you may never have expected, with costs that you hadn’t considered. It is important to remember that there is help available, and Macmillan is here to help you find that help.

We can help you with information on finding benefits to help with the cost of prescriptions, childcare or travel to hospital. We can offer advice on how to find travel insurance, and how to cope at work whilst dealing with cancer.

Macmillan wants everyone with cancer to receive the right level of treatment and support regardless of who they are and where they live. You can help us by joining one of our financial campaigns, and helping other people affected by cancer to get a fairer deal.

Other ways Macmillan can help

Find out what benefits are available to you with our guide to the UK benefits system, including help for people of working age, pensioners and carers.
See what support is available if you are working through cancer, and get further information on the new Employment Support Allowance with our ESA factsheet [PDF, 103kb].
Talk to other people affected by cancer about the practical issues surrounding cancer in our online communities.
If you're affected by cancer, a Macmillan benefits adviser can offer specialist advice on how to ease your financial worries. Find an adviser in your local area here. For general advice on benefits and financial help, debt and consumer issues, search our financial advice services directory, provided by UK Advice Finder.
Our benefits awareness e-learning resource is for those who work with people affected by cancer, and aims to raise awareness of the impact that cancer can have on the lifestyles of those affected by cancer, and of the benefits and financial help available to them. You can access this e-learning resource via our Learn Zone.
If you're a Macmillan professional complete our online survey on our financial capability toolkit, It all adds up.

Order a booklet

Macmillan's Help with the cost of cancer is a guide to benefits and financial help for people affected by cancer.

You can order a copy online or call freephone, (9am - 10pm, Mon to Fri, 9am - 12pm, Sat):

0800 500 800

Download Help with the cost of cancer [PDF, 990kb] for England, Scotland and Wales.

Download Help with the cost of cancer [PDF, 990kb] for Northern Ireland.

Need information on financial help?

If you would like information about how to access benefits or questions about other kinds of financial support, call the freephone Macmillan Benefits Helpline, (10am - 5pm, Mon to Fri):

0800 500 800

Calls are confidential and answered by experienced benefits advisors who understand the effects of cancer.