How does cancer treatment affect a patient's job?

Cancer treatment can cause severe side effects that prevent patients from returning to work, leading one in three surveyed patients to leave or change their jobs.

What financial challenges do cancer patients face?

Patients often face depleted savings and long waits for financial support, making it difficult to manage expenses during treatment.

Where can cancer patients get financial support?

Charities like Maggie's offer expert benefits advisors to help cancer patients understand and access financial support, manage money, and navigate returning to work.

Home / Health / Cancer treatment drains savings, leaves patient jobless

Cancer treatment drains savings, leaves patient jobless

3 Apr

Summary

One in three cancer patients surveyed changed or left jobs.
Treatment side effects prevented a support worker from returning to work.
Financial support for cancer patients has significant delays.

Cancer treatment drains savings, leaves patient jobless

Cancer diagnosis and treatment can lead to significant financial hardship and job displacement for patients. Julie Tennant, a 60-year-old from Greater Manchester, experienced this firsthand when diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023. The severe side effects of her treatment, including neuropathy and ulcerative colitis, rendered her unable to return to her job as a support worker.

Her treatment at the Royal Oldham Hospital and the subsequent financial strain forced her and her husband to deplete their savings. A survey by Maggie's revealed that one in three of 500 cancer patients surveyed had left or changed their jobs due to their illness. Tennant stressed the inadequacy of current financial support systems, noting the long waits for aid and the difficulty of working alongside demanding treatment schedules and frequent appointments.

Maggie's, a cancer support charity, offers crucial assistance through its benefits advisors. These experts help patients navigate financial support options, manage money during and after treatment, and advise on issues like sick pay and returning to work. Their services are free and available to individuals with any type of cancer at any stage, encouraging anyone needing support to visit a center.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.

Home / Health / Cancer treatment drains savings, leaves patient jobless

Cancer treatment drains savings, leaves patient jobless

3 Apr

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Summary

One in three cancer patients surveyed changed or left jobs.
Treatment side effects prevented a support worker from returning to work.
Financial support for cancer patients has significant delays.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.