Cancer patients are relying on charity to pay for basics such as heating and clothes.
Last year, Macmillan Cancer Support provided £1.2million in grants to almost 3700 people to help them pay for necessities.
About £457,000 was given out to help cancer patients pay for heating while another £370,000 was awarded to help them buy new clothes, often needed due to a change in body shape resulting from treatment.
Macmillan said the figures are a timely reminder of the huge financial stresses cancer causes.
Ahead of the May elections, the charity is calling on all political parties to pledge their support for the rapid roll-out of a model of cancer support which will ensure everyone with cancer is automatically offered financial, emotional and practical support.
Brendon Clark is a Welfare Rights Officer for North Lanarkshire’s Benefits Advice, a service funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and run by North Lanarkshire Council.
Brendon said: “Every day, I see the difference a Macmillan grant can have on someone’s life. Following a diagnosis, people have so much to sort and deal with, and a big part of that is their finances.
“Going through treatment people can feel the cold a lot more and need the heating on all day, that cost mounts up.
"That’s where the Macmillan grant can really help and take some of that financial stress away – it can be a lifeline to a lot of people.
“Most aren’t aware of what help they’re entitled to. The grant is a one-off payment of £350 that helps with the extra costs a cancer diagnosis can bring.
“People who have worked their whole lives and never needed to ask for help before have no idea where to turn.”
Figures from the Scottish Government show there’s been a huge rise in people dying from cancer at home, rather than hospital, during the pandemic.
The charity believes this, combined with the expected increase in people being diagnosed later due to the disruption caused by Covid, means a renewed focus on end of life care in Scotland is urgently needed.
Head of Macmillan in Scotland Janice Preston said: “No one dealing with a life-threatening illness should have to worry about how to pay their rent or heat their home.
“We’re calling on all political parties and candidates to pledge their support for the programme and its rapid rollout across the country.”
