A cancer diagnosis is not the death sentence that it used to be. Advances in treatments and drugs have made it possible to fight off - and in some cases cure - the disease in many individuals, giving them a new lease on life. Unfortunately this is not the case for all. Many people diagnosed with cancer become debilitated, unable to work and yet lead normal lives. But when the diagnosis is compounded by symptoms and treatments that dramatically affect a person's lifestyle and they become unable to return to work, they often experience severe financial difficulties on top of coping with their illness.

Benefits are available to those that have fallen ill and are no longer able to go to work; but not everyone who falls ill knows about these benefits. Often their doctors and the nurses they see when receiving treatment do not delve into their patients' private lives or the patients do not discuss their money worries with their doctors who would most likely not be aware of the ins and outs of receiving benefit.

Those people who have dealt with the procedures involved in applying for and receiving benefits know that the process can be long, arduous and complicated. Many people who are eligible for receiving incapacity benefit may not know they can receive funds or if they do, may not be physically up to the task of applying.

When cancer patients do successfully apply they also might be surprised with the amount of funds available to them which are set to pay for basic living expenses. Many find however, that the amount available, usually less than £80, does not come close to covering their basic needs especially if they rent accommodation or pay a mortgage. Matters are significantly worse if they live on their own and do not benefit from the support of a loved one.

Fortunately there are many organisations that offer financial advice for cancer patients that can help with the mundane task of filling out the application forms and will also know of other funds that might be available to the patients that need additional support.

Recently, stories of cancer patients that have been suffering from financial difficulty have been in the papers highlighting this hidden tragedy of cancer. Cancer sufferers already experiencing debt before they are diagnosed find it often impossible to make their repayments and are bombarded with calls from the bank and collection agencies. There are laws in place to protect people in these situations but like other benefits available, these laws exist unknown to those that need their protection the most.

Help is available for cancer sufferers but many of the organisations involved are charity based and have limited funds. Government based assistance in the form of benefits is designed to assist those in need and is often the first step in getting financial assistance.