Macmillan Cancer Support has secured more than £3.8million in welfare benefit payments for people with cancer in north Wales during the Coronavirus pandemic.

New figures from Macmillan’s benefits advice service shows the charity helped 920 people in north Wales to claim an average of over £4,200 between June 2020 and June 2021.

The service, funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and run in partnership with Wrexham County Borough Council and the local health board, was set up to help people with cancer cope with the huge financial pressures that many people face as a result of their illness.

Across Wales as a whole, the charity’s network of benefits advice services secured more than £19million in vital financial support for people with cancer during the pandemic.

Lesley Clark, a Macmillan Welfare Benefits Adviser said: “For many people cancer can lead to a real loss of income, and a long list of unexpected costs that can all heap additional anxiety on people already struggling with their diagnosis.

“Many of the people we talk to haven’t used the benefits system before and don’t know what help is available. Every day we talk to people who are trying to manage the huge emotional and physical strain of cancer and cancer treatment, while feeling the pressure of how to pay their bills and square away their finances at the same time.

“I would encourage anyone with cancer to get in touch and to see how we can help at the early possible stage – we really can help to take away just a little bit of the anxiety we know people are feeling.”

Macmillan relies almost entirely on donations from the public to fund services like these, and the charity is doing so at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a huge drop in its income.

Macmillan is now hoping that after 18-months of cancelled fundraising events, people across Wales will sign up for its famous Coffee Morning fundraiser which this year falls on 24 September, but which can be held whenever suits people best.

Richard Pugh, Head of Partnerships for Macmillan Cancer Support in Wales said: “People with cancer need the time and freedom to recover and to adapt, and that is so very difficult if you are having to worry about how to put food on the table and keep a roof over your head at the same time..

“Cancer is not something that anyone can budget for, and we are immensely proud of what our Macmillan benefits advisers are achieving when it comes to relieving just some of the anxiety experienced by people with cancer in Wales.

“These are services that simply would not be there without the continued backing of our generous supporters.

“Our flagship Coffee Morning event is just around the corner on Friday 24 September. We hope everyone will get involved, make up for some of the time we have all lost by getting together to enjoy some coffee and cake, and help us to keep services like this running at a time when people with cancer need us the most.”

To find out more about the financial impact of cancer, or to find support please visit www.macmillan.org.uk.