"Done more for me in a fortnight than anybody done in all me life." How welfare rights advice can help people with cancer

Abstract

BackgroundIn the UK many people with cancer and their carers do not have easy access to the welfare benefits to which they are entitled adding further strain to the process of dealing with cancer. It is estimated that nine out of ten cancer patients' households experience loss of income as a direct result of cancer, which, due to its socio-economic patterning disproportionately affects those most likely to be financially disadvantaged. In the UK proactive welfare rights advice services accessed via health care settings significantly increase benefit entitlement among people with health problems and this paper reports on a qualitative study examining the impact of a welfare rights advice service specifically designed for people affected by cancer and their carers in County Durham, North East England (UK).MethodsTwenty two men and women with cancer or caring for someone with cancer who were recipients of welfare rights advice aged between 35 and 83 were recruited from a variety of health care and community settings. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken and analysed using the Framework method.ResultsMost of the participants experienced financial strain following their cancer diagnosis. Participants accessed the welfare rights service in a variety of ways, but mainly through referral by other professionals. The additional income generated by successful benefit claims was used in a number of ways and included offsetting additional costs associated with cancer and lessening the impact of loss of earnings. Overall, receiving welfare rights advice eased feelings of stress over financial issues at a time when participants were concerned about dealing with the impact of cancer. Lack of knowledge about benefit entitlements was the main barrier to accessing benefits, and this outweighed attitudinal factors such as stigma and concerns about benefit fraud.ConclusionsFinancial strain resulting from a cancer diagnosis is compounded in the UK by lack of easy access to information about benefit entitlements and assistance to claim. Proactive welfare rights advice services, working closely with health and social care professionals can assist with the practical demands that arise from dealing with the illness and should be considered an important part of a holistic approach to cancer treatment.

Assessing the health benefits of advice services: using research evidence and logic model methods to explore complex pathways

“…In contrast to the lack of quantitative evidence regarding direct physical health benefits, some qualitative data showed that recipients perceived that their physical health improved as a result of receiving additional income (for example, Clarke et al. 2001, Greasley 2003, Borland & Owens 2004, Greasley & Small 2005a,b, Moffatt et al. 2006a, 2010, Doncaster 2008, Moffatt & Scambler 2008).…”

‘It was a big monetary cut’—A qualitative study on financial toxicity analysing patients’ experiences with cancer costs in Germany

“…The reasons for direct non-medical costs have been found to include costs generated from travel and parking, increased household bills, new clothing, healthier food, household-and childcare-related services, fitness classes, relocation, house modifications and family and friends (Amir, Wilson, Hennings, & Young, 2012;Céilleachair et al, 2012;Longo, Fitch, Grignon, & McAndrew, 2016;McGrath, 2016b;Moffatt, Noble, & Exley, 2010;Timmons, Gooberman-Hill, & Sharp, 2013b). Knowledge of the expected costs is crucial for cancer patients to reduce their financial distress (Peppercorn, 2014) because experiencing a higher than expected financial burden has been found to increase experiences of financial distress (Chino et al, 2017).…”

The social impact of advice during disability welfare reform: from social return on investment to evidencing public value through realism and complexity

“…Advice has been identified as vital in supporting health and disability benefit claimants to navigate their way through the benefit system (Shefer et al 2016;Barnes et al 2017). Advice that supports the uptake of welfare benefit entitlements can have a positive impact on mental and physical health (Corden et al 2010), may address health inequalities (Greig et al 2014), and can ease financial stresses in times of severe illness (Moffatt et al 2010). This advice is often given by advice-providing charities to people who would not otherwise be able to afford to access legal advice.…”