Cancer patients take financial hit
Cancer charity Macmillan have presented statistics from a survey they commissioned, revealing that cancer patients are fighting both cancer and financial hardship as a result of their diagnosis.
Key findings based on 1,495 cancer patients who took part in the survey.
– 70% of cancer patients are hit financially through increasing costs and lost income as a direct result of their disease
– 66% reported an increase in costs as a result of travelling to hospital and/ or an increase in household expenses.
– 17% of those financially affected have been forced to cut back on everyday essentials such as buying food
– 5% skip meals to save money
– 7% are scared of losing their home.
– 29% of those financially affected have spent all or some of their savings
– 9% have borrowed money to cover the additional costs of cancer.
– 43% of all cancer patients surveyed are anxious due directly to their financial situation.
All of these statistics show the situation before welfare cuts and so the situation for cancer patients is likely to worsen as 7,000 cancer patients stand to lose up to £94 a week due to changes to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
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Amanda Frewin
Research & Project Support
