‘Paying the price of cancer’: Millions of cancer patients face financial burden of nearly £900 a month
A leading charity is encouraging people to access support as new research uncovers that for many, the long-term financial impact of cancer can reach more than a year’s average UK salary
Macmillan Cancer Support is urging people living with cancer to access its specialist support as it reveals that more than four in five — almost 2.5 million people across the UK — are hit by a ‘cancer price tag’ that reaches almost £900 a month[i]. Further research also shows there are still tens of thousands of people with cancer in the UK struggling to pay basic living costs because of the Covid-19 pandemic[ii].
New analysis from Macmillan shows that 83% of people with cancer in the UK experience some kind of financial impact from their diagnosis, and for those affected, this reaches an average of £891 a month, on top of their usual expenditure[iii]. More than one in three people with cancer (39%) are severely financially affected by their diagnosis, and for those living with the long-term effects of cancer, the overall financial burden of their diagnosis is more than a year’s average UK full-time salary[iv]. The charity’s analysis suggests that the financial cost of cancer may have increased over and above the cost of inflation[v] since it first revealed the financial impact of cancer in 2012.
The financial hit that many people are forced to face as a result of a cancer diagnosis can come from an array of extra and often unexpected needs, as well as a drop in earnings if they are less able to work. For example, the latest figures show that over half of people with cancer see an increase in day-to-day living costs (54%), with over a quarter experiencing extra costs travelling to and from their appointments (28%) and around one in six (17%) facing higher household fuel bills. In addition, three in four people with cancer (75%) experience a loss of income.
Above and beyond the extra costs people with cancer face, further research from Macmillan shows that Covid-19 will have exacerbated financial difficulties for many, with one in nine people with cancer in the UK (11%) saying that their household finances have been affected by Covid-19 in recent months[vi].
The charity is warning of the wider ramifications of these financial pressures, with more than half (56%) of those with cancer who have been financially affected by Covid-19 saying they are left feeling anxious or stressed, whilst 29% have experienced worse health overall and 10% have missed hospital appointments[vii]. Worryingly, people with cancer who have been financially affected by Covid-19 and who have also received welfare benefits during the pandemic are significantly more likely to experience these mental and physical impacts. They are seven times as likely to find it hard to stick to their treatment plan, three times as likely to have missed hospital appointments and twice as likely to experience worse health overall as a result of financial pressures from Covid-19[viii].
These findings are mirrored by the charity’s own figures which show that during September this year, the financial teams on Macmillan’s Support Line answered more calls from people in need of support than at any other point during the pandemic so far[ix].
In response to this concerning evidence, Macmillan is urging anyone experiencing the financial impact of cancer to access support available through the charity, including the financial, emotional and practical guidance Macmillan’s specially trained Support Line advisers can offer.
After being made redundant during the pandemic, Lesley Millar, 45, from Cambridge, was forced to stop a new role doing manual work as a hamper packer when she began treatment for breast cancer in February 2021. She says:
“I wanted to keep working when I was diagnosed but the fatigue of chemotherapy and being told to self-isolate made it impossible. I was left without an income and terrified I would lose the house I share with my daughter. On top of that I had to face the price tag cancer came with, including driving 40 minutes to hospital appointments, and buying new bras following my lumpectomy and hats to cover my hair loss.
“Until I was put in touch with my Macmillan adviser, Cathy, I felt like I was really paying the price of cancer, way beyond the impact on my health. Macmillan’s finance teams helped me sort out my benefits, reduce bills with my energy supplier and get on a special priority list with my water company. Macmillan has been my rose in a garden of thorns — I can’t thank them enough.”
Carrie Whitham, Head of Operations for Money & Work Support at Macmillan Cancer Support, says:
“Even before Covid-19 we were receiving more and more calls to our support line from people living with cancer, worried about the financial impact of their diagnosis. The pandemic has supercharged these concerns. Every day now we are hearing from people who have felt the financial impact of the Universal Credit cut, rising energy bills or the end of furlough, often making them more anxious about their finances than their health.
People with cancer need to live, not just survive and Macmillan’s specially trained teams are on hand, every day, pushing to make sure people get the support they need and deserve.”
Macmillan is doing whatever it takes to give people living with cancer the support they need and is urging people to contact the charity’s financial teams on 0808 808 00 00 seven days a week. Peer-to-peer support is also available 24 hours a day via the charity’s Online Community and more information about the support available can be found at Macmillan.org.uk.
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For further information, please contact:
Harriet Potter, Media & PR Manager, Macmillan Cancer Support
Out of Hours: 07801 307068
Notes to Editors:
- People can contact Macmillan’s financial teams to access the Financial Helpline, Welfare Rights advice, Macmillan grants, energy advice, work support, insurance guidance, pensions guidance, mortgage guidance, estate planning and debt queries
Fact box:
- More than four in five people with cancer in the UK (83%) experience some kind of financial impact from their diagnosis, and for those affected, this reaches an average of £891 a month
*Please note that this figure cannot be directly compared to previous Macmillan research, as an updated method to calculate the monthly cost has been used
- More than one in three (39%) are severely financially affected by their diagnosis — among this group, the average financial impact reaches more than £1,000 a month (£1,038)
- Over half of people with cancer in the UK (54%) see an increase in day-to-day living costs — for those affected, the average increase in costs reaches almost £400 a month (£389)
- More than a quarter (28%) experience extra costs of travelling to and from their appointments, with the average cost for those affected reaching £83 a month
- Around one in six (17%) see their household fuel bills rise, with the average cost for those affected reaching £100 a month
- Three in four people with cancer (75%) experience a loss of income because of their diagnosis, with the average loss for those affected reaching £747 a month
- Those who are most likely to be severely financially affected by their cancer are also most likely to have been financially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic
- For example, people with cancer of working age are three times more likely to be severely financially affected by their diagnosis than those 65 or over (48% vs 17%)x. Separate research found they were also more than twice as likely to have been financially affected by Covid-19 by mid-August 2021 (17% vs 7%)xi
Macmillan services include:
- Emotional and practical information
- Clinical information
- Coronavirus guidance
- Financial guidance
- Welfare Rights advice
- Macmillan grants
- Energy advice
- Work support
- Insurance guidance
- Pensions guidance
- Mortgage guidance
- Estate planning
- Debt queries
Further details available here.
About Macmillan Cancer Support
At Macmillan, we give people with cancer everything we’ve got. If you’re diagnosed, your worries are our worries. We will move mountains to help you live life as fully as you can.
And we don’t stop there. We’re going all out to find ever better ways to help people with cancer, helping to bring forward the day when everyone gets life-transforming support from day one.
[i] Macmillan Cancer Support/Truth survey of 1,329 adults who have received a cancer diagnosis. Fieldwork was undertaken between 13th January and 7th February 2020. The survey was carried out online. Sample is weighted to represent national population of people who have received a cancer diagnosis in terms of demographics (age, gender, region) and cancer type/time since diagnosis using prevalence data. The research shows that 83% of people with cancer in the UK experience some kind of financial impact of cancer, and for those affected, the average monthly amount at their most financially challenging time is £891. This is a weighted average, taking into account both loss of income and increased costs. The 2.5 million figure is estimated by applying the 83% figure to the 3 million people living with cancer in the UK. 3 million figure is taken from: Macmillan Cancer Support. Calculating cancer prevalence. https://www.macmillan.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/evidence/using-cancer-data/calculating-cancer-prevalence.html
[ii] Macmillan Cancer Support/YouGov survey of 2,032 adults with a previous cancer diagnosis. Fieldwork was undertaken between 30th July — 15th August 2021. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of people living with cancer (aged 18+). 3% of respondents were struggling to pay for basic essentials (e.g. food), bills (e.g. energy), or mortgage/rent. This equates to around 90,000 people with cancer in the UK (estimate calculated as per ref i)
[iii] As per ref i
[iv] As per ref i. The total average cost of cancer from diagnosis onwards reaches at least £36,000 for those living with the long-term effects of their cancer or its treatment; average UK salary before tax is £30,000 a year. Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/annualsurveyofhoursandearnings/2019 Median weekly full-time earnings in the UK in 2019 were £585, which equates to around £30,000 a year.
[v] Our previous research from 2012 showed that among people with cancer who had contacted Macmillan for support, 83% experienced a financial impact from cancer, and among those, the mean monthly cost was £570. Adjusting for inflation brings this to around £678 in 2020. Our new research also included a sample of people who had contacted Macmillan for support. While not directly comparable, the equivalent figures for this group are as follows: 93% experienced a financial impact, and among these, the mean monthly cost was £895
[vi] As per ref ii
[vii] As per ref ii
[viii] As per ref ii. Among people with cancer who have been financially affected by Covid-19, those receiving benefits are:
— Seven times as likely to have found it harder to stick to their treatment plan because of the financial pressure from Covid-19 (14% compared with 2% of those not receiving benefits)
— Three times as likely to have missed hospital appointments (20% compared with 6%)
— Twice as likely to have experienced worse overall health (50% compared with 22%)
[ix] Internal data. Refers to the four-week period from Monday 6th September to Sunday 3rd October 2021. The financial guidance team on the Macmillan Support Line answered 931 calls during this period, more than any other equivalent four-week period since the start of the pandemic. Please note this does not represent all calls answered by the Support Line during this time.
[x] As per ref i
[xi] As per ref ii
