Have experienced the financial effects of cancer? Email us your story.
Gillan from Surrey
"I've been so ill but just finding the money to get to hospital for treatment has been such a worry"
Following my diagnosis of cervical cancer in 2001 I had surgery at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. When the cancer came back in 2004 I had to have a course of radiotherapy. I was so ill that I spent nearly three weeks in hospital. For nearly five weeks after that, I had to get my partner to drive me back to the Marsden each day for five weeks.
I would estimate that, for just this one course of cancer treatment we've spent more than 85 on petrol driving from Surrey to London, and over 100 on parking charges. The Marsden doesn't have a car park so there was the added stress of finding a space outside.
I was in a state of physical collapse, but my partner often couldn't find anywhere to park and had to drop me off to make my own way into the hospital. There was then the added worry of the meter ticking away if there were delays in the hospital.
My partner has spent 174 on train fares visiting me during the time I've been an in-patient. He's paid for this from his own pocket - neither of us have been told about any help there might be with all these costs.
I'm due to start a course of Manual Lymph Drainage to combat the Lymphoedema caused by the cancer treatment. This means being at the hospital at 8am every weekday morning for 3 weeks. If I go on the train it will cost me 150 , so I think I will drive, even though this will still be expensive, once I've paid for petrol and parking.
I have another consultation in a couple of weeks - and there'll be more, so the cost of my cancer will go up and up.
Dawn from Kent
"The extra costs I've had since my cancer diagnosis have been really stressful"
Since I've been diagnosed with breast cancer I've had over 30 appointments at Queen Mary Hospital in Sidcup. This has included 12 sessions of chemotherapy plus return visits if my blood count is too low. One time I had a chest infection and had to return several times before the hospital would clear me for continuing with my treatment.
It's about 15 miles there and back to Queen Mary's. If I went to appointments in the car there was a 1 parking charge each time. On top of petrol this added up to 7 for each appointment. If I went by bus I had to take two buses there and two buses back, each round trip totalling 2.80. A lot of the time though chemo left me feeling too sick to travel by bus so my husband drove me there and back.
I also had to attend St Thomas' in London each week for two months and the train fare for this was around 6 for myself and my husband. Since finishing treatment I have regular check-ups, about 11 in total so far.
Just getting myself to treatment and back has cost me nearly 400 over the last couple of years. This might not sound like a great deal to a lot of people but there have been lots of other expenses and all these costs start to escalate over time. I've had to buy specialist bras which cost 25 each and at one stage I was paying out 24 a fortnight in prescription charges and continued to do so for the next five years after treatment.
I've found it very hard to get any sort of help or advice about how to deal with all of these costs. I still have to go to hospital regularly for follow up appointments so I can't see any end to my financial worries.
Natasha from Shropshire
"Things were so difficult that I had to go back to work before I was fully recovered"
I was 30 years old with two young children when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. As well as having to deal with the complete shock of the diagnosis I also had to deal with the huge financial impact. I had to take unpaid sick leave from my job and it was extremely difficult trying to claim benefits. Things were made even worse by the continual costs of my illness.
I received treatment at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. Initially my partner and his mother took me to hospital every week when I was first diagnosed - and then every treatment day for 12 months. They've had to pay out for petrol to make the 30 minute drive to hospital and back. When I was being treated parking charges weren't in place but it's now 2 for each visit.
Sometimes I had to use hospital transport because it was difficult for my partner to get time off work, and both of our mothers needed to be around to look after the children. But although the hospital transport is free, I had to wait a long time to be picked up at the end of the day and then to be taken home again.
There were also times when hospital transport just wasn't suitable because I needed to avoid infection - if there wasn't anyone available to take me I used a taxi service.
The cost of travelling to hospital has affected my whole family and has just added to the financial hardship my cancer has caused. My partner has had to work longer hours to help us cover the extra costs and I've also had to work whilst undergoing treatment in order for us to manage. None of us have ever been given any information about claiming back travel costs.
Without my family's financial support, I don't know how we would've managed.
Karen from Sunderland
"Trying to find out what benefits I might be entitled to has been more stressful than being told I have cancer."
Since being diagnosed with breast cancer I have been shocked and outraged at the lack of financial help that has been available to me. It seems as if no-one is prepared to help. I can honestly say that trying to find out what benefits I might be entitled to has been more stressful than being told I have cancer.
Everywhere I've turned I've faced obstacles. Whenever I've tried to find out about different benefits the person I've spoken to has just referred me on to someone else. I feel like I've been banging my head against a brick wall.
I worked for a well known bank for two years and when I told them about my diagnosis they signed me off sick. I was on half pay for a limited time but when this ran out I just received statutory sick pay.
I'm a single mother and have been living off nothing as I don't know where I stand. I've been lucky enough to receive a Macmillan grant to pay for immediate bills but there's everything else to consider council tax, housing and before I found out that I was ill I bought a car so I have that to pay off every month.
I asked a nurse at the hospital about what benefits I might be entitled to and she has arranged for me to meet with a benefits adviser to discuss this in more detail. I hope that there is finally light at the end of the tunnel.
You feel like you are being punished when you are diagnosed with cancer, you feel like you are being punished even more when no-one is prepared to help.
Sue from London
"I really feel my quality of life just isnt what it was before my cancer diagnosis."
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997. At the time I was a teacher at a higher education college and despite my experiences helping students with the benefits system, when I tried to claim myself the experience was horrendous. In the end it took nearly two years before I was able to get what I was entitled to.
Having been turned down for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) twice my social worker at the hospital sent me to my local Citizens Advice Bureau to get advice. They put me in touch with a local group, Islington Peoples Rights, who were brilliant. A worker there sat down with me and went through the DLA application section by section. This time my claim was successful
Before I received benefits I had to use my credit card to pay for food and travel to hospital. I amassed a bill totalling 1500 which took me a long time to pay off. My social life has suffered too, I just cant afford to go out and meet friends as before. I do go out occasionally but many activities I used to take for granted, such as going to the cinema or for a meal, are now beyond my means. I really feel my quality of life just isnt what it was before my cancer diagnosis
Dealing with the Benefits Agency has been extremely stressful and I am always terrified when they write or phone, even if it is something fairly straightforward. Sometimes it takes me several days to pluck up the courage to open their letters. I still dont feel secure on benefits, every year I worry about reapplying for DLA and I know that I will always be living with the financial side effects of cancer.
Margaret from Luton
"I had no idea where to find out about financial help."
After undergoing treatment for colon cancer, my husband Robert was off work for over a year. He received full pay for six months but after that he was put onto half pay. It was at this point that we really began to struggle financially and had to dip into our savings to make ends meet.
For the whole time Robert was ill I was caring for him. I wasn't in employment myself and I had no idea where to find out about financial help. At first I tried to keep Robert on an organic diet, but once he went onto half pay this had to stop. We had to use our savings to pay for everyday essentials and there were lots of extra costs such as heating and new clothes as Robert had lost a lot of weight after his chemotherapy. On top of this we had to make frequent trips to the hospital and parking each time was 2.50.
I wish we had received some benefits advice at the very beginning. When we did finally get some advice we applied for Disability Living Allowance for Robert the application was refused - I still don't understand why, some weeks he was in bed for days on end after chemotherapy. He was so weak he couldn't walk or bathe himself.
I really think that you should be able to talk to somebody straight away after you or your partner has been diagnosed with cancer. This way so much unnecessary worry could be avoided.
Kevin from Somerset
"I live in fear of my benefit being taken away again"
In 1992 my future looked rosy. I was happily married with three children, my wife and I owned our own business and I had a well paid job in the road construction industry.
After years of digestive problems I finally visited my GP and was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus. I had an oesophagectomy in 1993.
I was determined to keep working and returned to my job after 15 months. However, my health deteriorated and I had to accept that I could no longer maintain my normal working life. This came as a great blow to me. My wife and I were also forced to sell our business.
In the end I had to claim Disability Living Allowance, which is something I thought I would never have to do. In May 2000 the care component of my allowance was refused even though my care needs had increased. After a long battle I was finally awarded it in 2002, with the help and support of my local Citizens Advice Bureau.
I now have to go back and forth to the hospital every six to eight weeks for blood tests. The cost of the petrol and wear and tear to the car is an extra expense but we have to find the money somehow.
I live in fear of my benefit being taken away again. In reality you just don't know what tomorrow will bring health wise and you don’t need the added pressure of financial worries.