UK families ‘cannot afford cancer’

The average British family “cannot afford cancer”, a leading charity has warned.

Families earning average wages with average outgoings would end up around £200 (€253) in the red each month if an adult was diagnosed with the disease, said Macmillan Cancer Support.

The charity has conducted analysis on median household income figures and average spending figures while taking into account previous estimates of the “cost of cancer”.

The average family is left with around £365 each month after paying for necessities such as bills, food and everyday travel, said Macmillan.

The charity has previously found that cancer has an average monthly cost of £570 for the vast majority of patients.

This figure includes loss of income, travel to and from hospital appointments, and increased household bills due to being at home more and feeling the cold after treatment.

This means that if an adult was struck down with the disease, the family could face a shortfall of around £200 a month, the charity said.

Families could be forced to take drastic measures to cover this gap, including selling their homes or taking out loans.

”At a time when thousands of families are struggling to make ends meet, a cancer diagnosis can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, sending them into financial freefall,” said Macmillan Cancer Support chief executive Lynda Thomas.