Our Macmillan Advisors help to support those affected by cancer


For advice on benefits, for people suffering from cancer and their relatives, please call our Macmillan team on:

0300 456 8400

To contact Macmillan for cancer support call: 0808 808 0000 (freephone)

or visit http://www.macmillan.org.uk

 

Cancer can cause enormous financial strain

Cancer can often radically alter the financial circumstances of those affected by it. People may become unable to work and suffer a loss of income, while at the same time being faced with many extra expenses: travel to and from treatment; expensive special dietary requirements, even increased heating bills from a reduced ability to tolerate the cold. Relatives may also need to give up work in order to care for someone with cancer. Together these can put an enormous financial strain on people affected by cancer, who may find themselves struggling to negotiate the benefits system when at their most vulnerable.

Macmillan - Citizens Advice partnership

This is why Macmillan Cancer Support and Citizens Advice have formed a partnership in which Citizens Advice are funded by Macmillan to provide advice on welfare benefits to people affected by cancer. We have a welfare benefits advice project funded by Macmillan Cancer Support. Caseworkers advise clients about all benefits they are entitled to and provide help claiming them. They also ensure that they are aware of any available grants which could assist them, and can provide advice on other issues, for example debt, if necessary. Between January 2007 and April 2011 statistics have shown that over 38,000 clients had been assisted and had received income gain of over £77 million, with £1.1m of debt written off.

Macmillan at Citizens Advice LeicesterShire

In August 2009 a partnership between Citizen Advice in Leicestershire and Rutland and Macmillan Cancer Support was formed. Funding was secured to deliver a service providing advice to cancer patients, their families and carers across Leicestershire and Rutland. The majority of clients using the service have welfare benefits and other associated issues. This project has proved to be an essential service helping people at a very difficult time.

Our service

We have eight Macmillan funded Citizens Advice Caseworkers who deliver the service and each caseworker has a Macmillan Case Support Worker. All of these staff are part time and besides the Citizens Advice training have received further training from Macmillan Cancer Support to allow them to deal with this special group of clients.