Sal Dunford was left in shock after she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer last February. Initially she was worried about her health, then learned that the consequences would also be far-reaching for her finances too.
The diagnosis meant the 47-year-old mother of three has been off sick from her job as a showrooms advisor at B&Q for nearly two years. When she was signed off, her husband, who does not wish to be named, was also off work as a salesperson dealing with medical issues.
Things got so bad that she was left washing her clothes in a bucket last year as she couldn’t afford to use her washing machine.
“We could no longer use the dishwasher, turned the heating off completely and cancelled all our TV subscriptions,” said Ms Dunford, who watched the five free channels, and lives in Bolton.
“I have felt like a prisoner in this cost-of-living crisis. I’ve had to be careful with food expenditure and on occasion have had to skip meals to ensure there is food on the table for my family. The situation is dicey.”
Sal’s cancer was discovered after going in to have a cyst drained. The doctor noticed the cancer hiding behind the cyst.
“My husband and I only had around £800 in savings and that was soon used up,” she said.
“I wanted to take time off sick in future but I was advised by my doctors that I had to take time off straight away as I was to start treatment and it would take years to recover. I was lucky that my boss gave me one month off full-pay for sickness and then I received statutory sick pay for six months. I had to wait three months for my benefits to kick in.”
Ghazala Anjam, Work Support Team Leader on the Macmillan Support Line, said that when people are diagnosed with cancer while employed, there are legal rights and options available.
“We encourage everyone in this position to seek out professional advice so you can properly weigh up your options and ensure you make an informed decision, particularly if you are considering resigning from your position at work. Macmillan’s Work Support Team can help you to understand your rights at work when living with cancer.”
Sal went through a gruelling process of having a lumpectomy, 19 sessions of radiotherapy and is still having regular hormone therapy, which was last for the next five years. She is also taking painkillers for ailments she has been left with after her radiotherapy including lack of mobility in an arm and the radiotherapy affecting the nerves in her leg.
Now her main source of income is personal independence payment (PIP) which is £380 every four weeks. Additionally, she has been receiving around £80 in universal credit but this is due to stop as her husband has returned to work. Her has only recently returned to full time employment as a sales consultant after taking on an evening role as a pizza delivery driver.
Macmillan Cancer Support has reported a rise in people with cancer contacting its support line with money worries. There has been a 33 per cent increase so far in 2023 compared with 2022.
Further data shows that around a third of people having cancer treatment who are struggling in the cost-of-living crisis are being forced to cut back on basic hygiene or cleaning essentials, such as soap and toothpaste.
The charity offers grants to cancer patients, including Sal, who received £350 after diagnosis which helped her pay the bills.
However, after that and her savings were used up, she and her husband had to cut back on everything to ensure they could survive on what little money they had.
“The heating was off, we didn’t upgrade our phones when they came to renewal and we got creative with the food in the cupboard. Anything we could cut back on, we did.
“We did try to find the lighter side of it, humour was our coping mechanism, but it became difficult. With interest rates going up and the cost of living crisis, it still didn’t feel like we were saving much.”
The mortgage for their three-bedroom house rose from £318 to £433 earlier this year while their energy bills are now £162 a month, rising from around £75 last year when they kept the heating off and avoided using appliances as much as possible.
“We didn’t have the heating on for months but it’s so cold now. I need it on or I’ll end up in hospital.”
To cut back on food costs, the couple turned to food banks for their groceries as well as their local church which has a community grocery.
“You can pay £5 for 15 items which works out as quite cheap. We make every packet and can last.”
It’s not just everyday costs that Sal has to grapple with. This Christmas, she is going to make as many of her own gifts as she can including homemade bars of soap as well as purchasing some items from cheaper websites like Temu.
“There is no point in getting into debt for Christmas so I will be making as much as I can.”
Now her husband is back at work full-time, it is hoped Sal’s financial situation will improve somewhat but it will still be challenging.
One thing she thinks the Government can do to help cancer patients is to speed up how quickly they are able to access benefits.
“I had to wait weeks for mine after diagnosis and had I not had the Macmillan grant and my small amount of savings, I don’t know what I would have done. If I had lived alone, again, I don’t know what I would have done. With the shock of the diagnosis and starting treatment, I needed the benefits right away, not the six weeks I had to wait.”
Sal must now wait to see if her treatment is having a positive impact in the long term but she is still suffering side effects.
“My nerve sensation has been altered and I often need a stick to walk. I am also having trouble catching my breath. But this is the new reality.”
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