New research out today shows 6% of people lose their home after being diagnosed with cancer and 18% have difficulties in keeping up with their mortgage or rental payments, according to leading cancer care charity Macmillan Cancer Support.
For those with cancer who are self-employed, the figure is higher still with 11% losing their home. Each year around 16,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in Wales and Macmillan has released these research findings in an effort to raise awareness of the issue.
Macmillan’s General Manager for Wales, Cath Lindley, says: ‘This is shocking. Having cancer should not cost you your home. These figures allow us to estimate that over 2800 people in Wales struggle to keep a roof over their heads each year and over 900 people have lost their homes. More people in Wales are living with cancer than ever before and so Macmillan would like to see all patients given specialist benefits advice and financial help after being diagnosed with cancer’.
Miss Lyn Jones, 59, a security officer from Cardiff, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on 6 October 2004 and went in to hospital for a hysterectomy 20 days later. Chemotherapy followed and Lyn was off work for nearly a year – until 5 September 2005. Without her fortnightly pay cheque, she was forced to live off her statutory sick pay and some housing benefit. It was then that the financial impact of her cancer diagnosis really ‘hit home’. Lyn explains: ‘As soon as I was given my diagnosis I went to the benefits office, but because I was still working they said I couldn’t claim anything other than statutory sick pay and a bit of housing benefit. Being ill with cancer wasn’t enough! Certainly the money I got wasn’t enough. At the end of the day you’re not just paying to have a roof over your head – all those day to day expenses add up, like healthy food and clothes that actually fit.’
During her treatment, Lyn’s rented house was being renovated. It was disrupting her recovery and she was forced to move to another house owned by friends. She explains: ‘Builders were in the house banging away, while I was in bed trying to cope with chemo – it was hardly ideal. Luckily, my friends had this house, and because they knew I only had £2 to live on after rent for a while, they didn’t want me to pay all of their rent immediately. I was also lucky enough to get two Macmillan grants to help pay for some of my rent and other things, like heating. Those grants were life-savers and my friends and family helped me out as well. I waited for my hair to grow back and went back to work. In my first week I did 42 hours – I needed to work all the hours I could to pay off my bills. I’m still recovering today, but I was lucky – very lucky.’
The picture is worse for some - figures also reveal that:
-
some 28% of cancer patients with children (under 18 years old) have difficulties keeping up payments compared to 15% of those without children.
-
25% of people aged 35-44 years find repayments a problem compared to 6% of those over 65 years old.
‘These figures really hit home. Too many people are facing overwhelming financial pressures at a time when they are coping with cancer – borrowing money, moving in with family, selling up or moving to help make ends meet. Some even face repossession’, Cath Lindley continues. ‘Macmillan is raising awareness of this desperate financial situation to help prevent more cancer patients from reaching crisis point.’
After being diagnosed with cancer, people often face a drop in income, or lose it altogether, at the same time as they face a number of extra costs including prescription charges, hospital parking costs, special diets or high fuel bills. These financial pressures can lead to people struggling or falling behind with their rental or mortgage payments.
To help publicise the financial help available, Macmillan’s Hitting Home campaign launches with a major UK-wide awareness drive using radio adverts, patient advice leaflets and posters in hospitals, libraries and Macmillan Information Centres and campaigning posters in estate agent windows. To find out about financial help available, people affected by cancer can call the Macmillan campaign line free on 0800 500 800 or visitwww.macmillan.org.uk/abetterdeal
Macmillan is also working in partnership with Shelter, the UK’s biggest national housing charity. People who call Macmillan’s campaign line in a crisis will be forwarded on to Shelter’s national housing advice helpline for support. John Puzey, Director of Shelter Cymru, says, ‘Every year Shelter Cymru help thousands of people who face losing their home through no fault of their own. Anyone experiencing housing problems should seek early advice by contacting Shelter Cymru's housing advice service in their area. As Macmillan shows, cancer can be devastating enough for people without the added stress of losing their home.’
Macmillan is also urging the public to get behind the Hitting Home campaign by ‘taking action’ and emailing their local newspaper through Macmillan’s websitewww.macmillan.org.uk/abetterdealto register their concern and raise awareness of the financial help available.
For more information, photographs and CONTACT DETAILS FOR CASE STUDIES please contact Macmillan’s Press Office for Wales on 01656 867 973 / 07793 579375 or emailcthomas@macmillan.org.uk
Macmillan’s Hitting Home Check List
1) Talk to your mortgage lender and explain - you may be able to switch to an interest only mortgage, defer payments or take a mortgage ‘break’. Or talk to your landlord and explain your situation.
2) Check your insurance policies. You may find your rent or mortgage is covered.
3) You might be entitled to claim benefits such as disability living allowance, income support, or housing tax benefit. Call Macmillan’s campaign line on 0800 500 800 to find out about benefits agencies in your area or to order a free copy of ‘Help with the Cost of Cancer.’
Notes to Editors
1.Macmillan research - conducted by OLR (Opinion Leader Research) who interviewed 1,751 people. Following their interview, all the people we contacted were given details of where to go for financial and emotional advice.
2.Partnership with Shelter charity - people who call Macmillan’s campaign line in crisis will be forwarded to Shelter’s helpline for advice. Every year Shelter helps more than 170,000 people a year to fight for their rights, get back on their feet, and find and keep a home. For information on the partnership, contact Helen Bird on 020 7505 2162 orhelen_bird@shelter.org.ukFor further media information on Shelter Cymru, please contact Liz Derrick on 01792 483 072 / 07971 828 490 orlizd@sheltercymru.org.uk
3.Macmillan Cancer Support, the UK’s leading cancer care charity, improves the lives of people affected by cancer, providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support.