Some 218,000 people in Scotland are being hit by cancer costs of £1000 a month - nearly double the amount calculated three years go.

Macmillan Cancer Support said cancer's financial hit is calcluated through loss of income and other factors such as transport costs for appointments and extra heating costs to stay warm.

Further research also found thousands were struggling to pay basic living costs because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A YouGov survey undertaken in the summer found that nearly one in ten than (9%) of were struggling to pay for basic essentials like food, energy bills and a mortgage.

The research showed that 87% of people with cancer in Scotland experience some kind of financial impact of cancer, and for those affected, the average monthly amount at their most financially challenging time is £1,056.

Three years ago Macmillan Cancer Support said most patients were £570 worse off - but had since updated its calculations.

With many cancer patients at risk of spiralling into debt, Macmillan has urged anyone experiencing the financial impact of cancer to access support available through the charity, including the financial, emotional and practical guidance of its specially trained support line advisers.

The charity found that one in two people with cancer in Scotland see an increase in day-to-day living costs (47%), with one in four experiencing extra costs of travelling to and from their appointments (26%) and one in five (19%) seeing their household fuel bills rise.

The charity also found that in September this year, the financial teams on its support line answered 931 calls from people in need of support from across the UK - the highest number of any other point during the pandemic so far.

The Herald:

Janice Preston, head of services in Scotland at Macmillan Cancer Support, says: “Even before Covid-19 we were receiving more and more calls to our support line from people living with cancer, worried about the financial impact of their diagnosis. The pandemic has supercharged these concerns.

“Every day now our support line, and welfare benefits service teams across Scotland, are hearing from people who have felt the financial impact of the Universal Credit cut, rising energy bills or the end of furlough, often making them more anxious about their finances than their health.

“People with cancer need to live, not just survive and Macmillan’s specially trained teams on our helpline - and in our services across Scotland - are on hand, every day, pushing to make sure people get the support they need and deserve.”

Heather McCready, 62, from Port Glasgow was diagnosed with a brain tumour in September this year and is currently being supported by her local Macmillan Benefits Service in Inverclyde.

She said: “It’s not until something like this happens to you, that you realise how it can affect your work, your finances, your every-day costs.”

A mother-of-two and grandmother to four, Mrs McCready, who works for the Scottish Prison Service, added: “I am off sick at the moment so I’m being kept afloat but it is a huge worry - I do feel lucky that I have that support in place. My cognitive ability has been compromised so it’s difficult for me to do my job just now, on top of that I’m undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

“The local Macmillan Benefits Service has been such a huge help in telling us what support we are entitled to, such as applying for Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

“Energy prices are rising and when you’re going through treatment you need to keep warm. The benefit service has arranged for someone to come our home and assess our heating to make sure everything is working okay – that’s amazing!”

The Herald:

Her 57-year-old husband Brian, says to have someone guide you through everything takes away some of the stress, he said: “Jacqueline Coyle, the local Macmillan welfare officer, she helps you fill in all the forms. We have no experience of stuff like that and some of the forms are pages and pages long.

“Going through all of this is very much an alien world if you’ve never been through it before but you very quickly adapt. It’s a stressful time and very daunting. Future plans are all up in the air and we’re having to reassess everything.

“We’re driving to the Beatson Cancer Centre in Glasgow five days a week for six weeks for Heather’s treatment, you don’t think about how that cost can mount up.

“I’d urge anyone going through similar to seek out the help and support that’s there for them from cancer charities such as Macmillan. Cancer isn’t just about being hit by a diagnosis it’s the cost and all that comes with it, way beyond the impact of your health.”