Thu 28-Sep-06 10:37 AM by ken

Have you been affected by cancer and struggling financially? Have you experienced problems paying mortgage or rent bills? Macmillan Cancer Support would like to hear from you.

Macmillan is looking at how the additional costs of cancer and loss of income affects people's finances and the impact this can have. We specifically would like to hear from anyone who has had housing problems such as difficulties with their rent or mortgage payments following a cancer diagnosis. If you can help Macmillan in highlighting this important issue, please contact us on 020 7840 7808.

Macmillan’s Better Deal campaign raises awareness of the financial hardship and help available for people with cancer. For a free guide to benefits and financial help, please contact the campaign line free on 0800 500 800, or visit the website: www.macmillan.org.uk/abetterdeal

Further to my colleagues post, I'm looking to hold paid for patient/carer research focus groups in the Bradford/Leeds area, Bristol and London.

The purpose is to help us test our leaflet designs to ensure they meet the needs of people with cancer. Also, we'd like to talk in more detail about the financial cost of cancer, specifically problems people have with housing costs.

We are specifically interested in talking to cancer patients or carers/family/close friends who have lost their home, or struggled to pay their mortgage or rent - or people who know someone that has been in this particular situation. People might have had to move to a cheaper place to live, or friends might have moved in with them, meaning they've lost benefits and ended up financially worse off.

Groups will be held w/c 9th October but dates will be set once we've established levels of interest in each area. People will be paid £30 each, plus all travel and subsistence costs will be reimbursed on production of a receipt. Groups will be facilitated by expert, sensitive researchers, who have worked with Macmillan Cancer Support on similar projects in the past.

Please contact me via email in the first instance.

Many thanks in advance for your help.
Jenny