Millions paid out to people affected by cancer in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire
Macmillan's helped almost two thousand people secure benefit payments.
Last updated 19th Nov 2021
Almost two thousand people affected by cancer in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire have been able to secure benefit payments thanks to the help of a charity.
Macmillan says it's been able to help people secure £6.9 million between October 2020 and September 2021, for essentials like food and making up for loss of income.
Over 500 people have also been receiving support from the charity's advisers who are trained to identify the benefits they can claim and assist them with the application process.
One of those who benefited from the help was Norwich mum, Helga Foysters.
The money she received helped cover the costs of caring for her eight year-old daughter Lucy who was diagnosed with bone cancer.
The registered nurse was first put in touch with the Macmillan Welfare Benefits Advice Service after undergoing her treatment for breast cancer herself. She turned to them for advice again last January after her daughter's diagnosis.
Despite being granted carer's leave and sick leave by her employer, she couldn't cover the extra travel costs and care for Lucy.
Mrs Foysters said: "When Lucy was admitted to hospital in January, it was devastating when I found out that my child has a serious illness, especially cancer, and we were in the hospital a lot during Covid. We didn't have access to friends and family as we would normally."
The nurse felt confident about Macmillan's services after her previous experience with them and was guided by Macmillan adviser Cathy on what support is available.
Mrs Foyster was advised to apply for Disability Living Allowance (DLA), which she said would have been a challenging and lengthy process without the expert advice of Macmillan support.
"I probably couldn't have done it without Macmillan adviser's help. Your mind is on your child, treatment, and you don't have that mental capacity for these very complex government forms. Without her help, I probably wouldn't have met the deadline to complete the form."
The Macmillan Welfare Benefits Advice Service at Suffolk County Council serves people living in Norfolk, Suffolk, or Cambridgeshire.
The support is also available for those receiving their cancer care and treatment at Addenbrooke's, Ipswich, the North Norfolk Macmillan Centre at Cromer Hospital, the QEH, the James Paget, the Norfolk and Norwich or West Suffolk Hospitals.
The service is funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and is run by Suffolk County Council.
Suffolk County Council has been working in partnership with Macmillan for the last ten years to ensure people with cancer will be helped with the financial pressures resulting from their illness.
Cathy Cunningham-Elliott, manager of the Macmillan Benefits Advice Service for Suffolk, Norfolk, and Cambridgeshire, said: "Our service provides specialist benefits advice and information to cancer patients and their families. Every person who gets referred to our service is provided with full benefits check to make sure that they are claiming all their entitlements."
The service has been even more critical as the economy continues to feel the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Rising costs of living, the end of furlough, and the cut to Universal Credit payments put financial pressure on the 60,000 people living with cancer in England who currently claim the benefit.
"For our service that covers Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridge, between October 2020 and September of 2021, we supported 1969 people with advice and information about their benefits."
The third quarter of 2021 saw the highest number of service users seeking help with claiming social security benefits.
"In that quarter, we had 555 people receiving support through our service, and we think that is possibly because of the gradual easing of restrictions and where people had previously put off going to see their doctor. They now started coming forward, so we think that's what may well have caused it."
Macmillan adviser explained that people might often not realise they are entitled to financial support. With the assistance of the service, they can receive advice to work out which benefits, tax credits, and grants they might be eligible for.
"Often, we find that when people had the diagnosis of cancer, that will frequently be the first they have ever needed to think about benefits. The benefits system is complicated, and many people, particularly those who work, might think they are working and are not entitled to anything.
"They have some preconceived ideas about the benefits system on who may claim or who may not. Our approach is that even if they might not be entitled to it, at least somebody independent would have checked it."