CANCER PATIENTS anxious about whether they will survive have to struggle with the added worry of how they will pay their bills, according to a recovering cancer sufferer from Dundee, writes Marjory Inglis, health reporter.

She spoke of the financial concerns that can overwhelm people faced with a cancer diagnosis, ahead of a workshop in the city on September 10 organised by the Maggie’s Centre.

She said patients have extra heating bills, extra transport costs, prescription charges and lots of calls on their cash associated with cancer.

But she said it was those whose employers were unable to continue to pay full wages during lengthy periods of illness who really suffered the double whammy of cancer and a financial crisis.

“I was fortunate because my employer paid my full wages while I was off work for a year going through treatment,” said the woman.

“But if it had been my husband who got cancer, his employer wouldn’t do that and he would have been on the government’s basic sick pay.

“Getting paid your full wages is a tremendous burden lifted off your back because you do worry about whether you’ll be able to pay your mortgage.

“When you get radio-therapy you are up at the hospital every day and that can be four buses a day you are having to pay for. It’s a lot for some people.”

Maggie’s Centre fund- raiser Val Busher said the reason for the forthcoming workshop was to try to help people find their way through the maze of benefits that could be claimed and show people that there was help available.

Maggie’s Centre, Dundee, has a benefits adviser available every day, with experience in assisting cancer patients to access available funds.

Val explained that many people who approached Maggie’s Dundee for help sorting out their finances were complete novices in that regard, coping with claims forms and different organisations that might be able to offer grants at a time when they were worried about their diagnosis.

“People find themselves in a situation where they have never had to claim benefits before and don’t know how to go about claiming,” said Val.

“They have never heard of disability living allowance or carer’s allowance. In their normal day-to-day living most people don’t come across this and don’t know where to start.”

She said people in the middle of an all-consuming illness appreciated somebody to turn to to help them work out the financial implications of their illness and how these might be tackled.

Val added that there was no guarantee that everybody with cancer would get benefits, but trained helpers could guide patients and their relatives through the options and help with applications for funding.

The Financial Impact of Cancer workshop will run from 7-9pm on September 10 in Maggie’s Centre, Dundee.

Anyone who has experienced the financial impacts of cancer is invited to attend and contribute. It will be supported by relevant experts from Maggie’s, the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and local solicitors.