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If you've just been diagnosed with cancer, the financial implications probably haven't registered yet. But having cancer can be expensive in ways you hadn't expected. As your treatment begins you may find you have to give up work. Your partner may also have to reduce their hours in order to care for you. You could well face extra expense to cover transport to and from hospital, increased heating bills and even new clothes to cope with weight loss or gain.

The Government offers various benefits you may be able to claim which will help you cope better:

• Travel Allowance is a means-tested benefit for people attending hospital for NHS treatment.
  
• Disability Living Allowance is a non means-tested benefit for people under 65 who have disabilities.
  
• Attendance allowance is a non means-tested benefit for people over 65 who have disabilities.
  
• Carer's Allowance is a benefit you may be eligible for if you spend over 35 hours a week caring for someone.

You may also be eligible for other benefits to help with extra expenses, such as prescription charges.

If you're terminally ill, you can apply for either Disability Living Allowance or Attendance allowance under the 'special rules'. Your claim should be dealt with more quickly and you should get the benefit at a higher rate.

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This information provides Financial issues can cause worry when someone becomes ill. Many people find that a diagnosis of cancer affects their finances and can cause money problems.

• Take advice
  
• Sick pay and benefits
  
• What you can do
  
• Getting your paperwork in order
  
• Employment-related benefits
  
• Disability and attendance benefits
  
• Income support
  
• Tax credits
  
• Help with NHS costs
  
• Grants
  
• Morgages, pensions and life assurance
  
• Viatical settlements
  
• Dealing with debt
  
• References

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All cancer patients are eligible for Disability Living Allowance - this won't be permanent, most people are taken off it after 2 years. It isn't means tested.

I didn't know this when I got cancer - assumed I didn't qualify because I was working, tho' on sick leave, and had some money in the bank. However, I've met loads of people in similar position who have managed to claim for eg. oesophagus, breast, gynae. cancers. It has been withdrawn at the end of two years.

The snag is the complicated form. You're supposed to claim within so many weeks (can't remember how many)but if you're late with that you just lose the weeks when you didn't claim, and can still claim. I should go to your local benefits office and ask for a form for DLA.

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I have to say I was very disappointed with the help I received from the government. I also had to travel at least 10 days in every 21 to hospital for treatment, and was not given any help with transport. I had not been at my new job long enough for them to pay me SS pay, so was told I would have to apply for Incapacity Benefit and Disability Living Allowance. I was not entitled to IB as they had used my years at university to calculate my NI contributions, as I didnt have a job while I was at university I had not paid enough - to be honest, its not something a student thinks about at the time, as I lived at home and off my student loan and wasn't on benefits or anything, I didnt need a job. But if I had known it would come back and bite me on the bum later things might have been different, but it just felt like I was being punished for studying.

As for the Disability Living Allowance, I did qualify for it but at the time I had applied I hadnt been sick for more than 6months so could not have that either.

So I got no benefits or help for being sick, the only thing I they would give me was Income Support (I think they had to give me something), which was £35 a week. £35 for petrol, and as I'm sure you'll all know the other costs of having treatment, foods, vitamins etc.

My mum gave up her job to care for me, because I couold do nothing myself because my treatment was so intense, I was just too weak, but she couldn't get a carers allowance either.

Oh but I did get a blue badge. So I was disabled enough at the time to have a blue badge, but for nothing else. Its crazy, this country stinks, all I can say is I am glad I had such a supportive family around me. I just didnt think it was fair that they had to pay for me and everything I needed. Its not like I asked to be ill or was feigning it. I wasnt planning on being off sick for the long term, I'm going back to work in September, 10 months from diagnosis, because I don't want to sit around, I could probably stay off longer because I have nerve damage in my hands and feet, but I wasnt brought up like that.

I'd just like to know how ill you have to be before this country helps you. I hope you have more luck than I did.