It is well recognised that having a child or adolescent with cancer puts a large financial strain on a family unit with the extra costs involved. These include:
- The cost of living and eating away from home
- The impact on one or both parents/carers’ ability to work
- Extra childcare costs for siblings
- Travelling expenses between home and the hospital.
Financial help is sometimes available in the form of allowances and grants as well as benefits – some of which are listed below. Claiming may involve lots of paperwork, and families are encouraged to apply sooner rather than later as some of them are not backdated.
Every family is offered Young Lives vs Cancer’s Social Care service and their social worker can co-ordinate the non-medical side of a patient’s care and support the family with practical, emotional and financial problems.
If the service is accepted by the family, their Young Lives vs Cancer social worker can help with the daunting task of applying for grants and benefits and assist with helping to understand the forms. They cannot fill in forms for them nor apply on their behalf; legally they must submit their own forms. Young Lives vs Cancer Social Workers are not trained benefits advisors but they can signpost families to their accredited welfare and housing support line, funded by Young Lives vs Cancer in partnership with Citizens Advice Bureau. You can access this service by calling 0800 815 4439 or by email.
Young Lives Vs Cancer social workers liaise with the family’s Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and the family’s local authority social worker (if they have one) to help the family identify resources to help meet their individual circumstances. They can also help the family to explore access to suitable holidays.
Possible Benefits and Allowances
These are non-means tested benefits. For DLA, your child must normally satisfy one of the disability conditions for at least three months to qualify, and be likely to satisfy one of the disability conditions for the next six months. There are also age limits to receiving the mobility component of DLA.
For PIP your child must normally satisfy one of the disability conditions for at least three months to qualify and be likely to satisfy one of the disability conditions for the next nine months.
Carers looking after someone on the middle or highest rate DLA care component and earning less than a set amount per week. It is also available if you are caring for someone who gets PIP daily living component.
A means tested benefit which includes a carer element and a child disability element if the relevant eligibility criteria are met.
Travel expenses are available for some families who are eligible for specific benefits. Certain health boards fund transport and accommodation costs if the child or young person is to be treated away from their home or local health board. Some parents/carers also qualify for travel expenses if they have a low income and are on specific benefits.
Certain energy providers offer income-based grants to help to pay off arrears. Special water tariffs are available in certain circumstances for people on low incomes, those who use large amounts of water due to a health condition or have three or more school age children.
Social tariffs for phone/broadband are available to recipients of Universal Credit.
Some parents/carers have mortgage payment protection set up. Claimants of Universal Credit for at least three months who have a mortgage are eligible for support for mortgage interest.
If they have life insurance, the policy might include serious illness/ critical illness cover that can be claimed if one’s child has a cancer diagnosis.
There are various grants that the family may qualify for from both local and national charities, some of which are not means-tested.
Further questions
If you have any questions or would like further information on any of the points listed above, please contact one of the Young Lives vs Cancer Social workers.
If you feel a family you are working with, who have a child or young person with cancer, require more information please also direct them to call their local Young Lives vs Cancer Social Worker.
References
Young Lives vs Cancer resources
Other sources of advice
- Macmillan benefits advice
- Citizens Advice – each area will have a local Citizens Advice office
Last reviewed July 2025