A Plumstead dad of five has thanked Macmillan for their help after not being able to afford to get to his treatment sessions.

Doug Harper was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, has been sharing how he was helped by a Macmillan grant and the impact a cancer diagnosis had on his finances, as well as on his health.

He said: "When I diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2012 after being made redundant, I was so worried about money - how I would pay my bills, put food on the table, keep the house heated.

"Even the cost of getting to hospital for my treatment sessions really took a toll; I became too ill to drive to my radiotherapy appointments, but my finances just wouldn’t stretch to expensive taxi fares. So when Macmillan gave me a charitable grant for my hospital travel costs, it was a huge sense of relief."

Around £546,230 in Macmillan grants helped people with cancer in London to pay for heating or clothing as having cancer can mean you feel the cold more or may be spending more time at home between treatments.

And approximately £206,550 was given to Londoners with cancer who were struggling to cover the expense of travelling to and from their appointments, with costs that could not be reclaimed through their hospital.

Doug continued: "Financially I was struggling before the diagnosis, but the extra burden was almost impossible. However, my Macmillan grant was a massive help and cut my worries down at a very stressful period. It was so reassuring to know that Macmillan was right there with me, when I needed them most.”

The grants also covered the costs of other essentials to help manage the impact of their cancer, such as beds, chairs, kitchen appliances and washing machines.

Four in five people living with cancer experience a financial impact. The average is £570 a month.

Increased costs can happen because people with cancer’s income goes down while their costs for things such as heating and travelling to hospital for treatment goes up.

In total, the charity gave grants to 3,919 Londoners affected by cancer last year with Croydon being the area with the highest number of people awarded grants.

Ed Tallis, Macmillan’s Head of Services for London, said: “Half of us will get cancer at some point in our lives so it’s reassuring to know that last year alone, Macmillan awarded around £1.4million in grants to Londoners who were struggling with the financial hardship that cancer can bring.

“Cancer can affect so many parts of your life and our Macmillan grants, funded by our supporters, covered essentials like heating bills and hospital travel costs for around 3,919 Londoners in 2018, helping to make money one less worry.

“Cancer is really tough on people’s finances but grants are just one way that Macmillan is there for people with cancer thanks to the public’s support and I’d urge anyone with cancer to get in touch to find out how we can support you.”

Macmillan has seen a rise in the number of financial grants it has given out to cancer patients over the last four years and says a combination of inflation, the rising cost of living and welfare reform could have exacerbated people’s financial difficulties during this time, forcing them to turn to charities for support.

Macmillan offers grants to people with cancer who are struggling financially, have a limited income or savings.

To find out about the financial help Macmillan offers, call the Macmillan Support Line free on 0808 808 0000 or visit macmillan.org.uk/moneyworries.

Macmillan is funded almost entirely by donations and we can only fund grants thanks to our amazing supporters. Visit macmillan.org.uk/getinvolved today to donate or volunteer.