Welfare rights advice

How our welfare rights advisers can help you

We know that money is a big and often difficult thing to talk about when you’re living with cancer. You may earn less if you need to stop working or reduce your hours. You may also need to spend more on things like heating or travelling to hospital. 

It was so much easier to share information with one person who knew the system back to front and could work out what I was eligible for - Helga
Our specialist welfare rights advisers can give you free and confidential advice and help you to find out what benefits and financial support you might be entitled to. 

We can help you with: 

How to contact our welfare rights advisers

Most people call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00 as it can be easier to discuss your circumstances in real time with an adviser. When you call you will hear a set of options to direct you to the right service. The Welfare Rights team are available Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, and Saturday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm.

You can also chat to us online. When chat is open you will see a 'Chat to us' icon at the bottom right of your screen. Click this to start the service. You will be asked a few questions to direct you to the best service to support you.

If you prefer to email us with questions, please complete our online form. All emails are answered during opening hours and we will reply within 2 working days. 

Language interpreters and options if you are Deaf or hard of hearing

We have interpreters available on our support line if you would like to speak to someone in a different language. Please state the language you need (in English) when you phone.

If you are Deaf or hard of hearing you can chat online, or visit the Macmillan Support Line page for details about using text relay or arranging a British Sign Language interpreter.

Preparing for your call with an adviser

We recommend having any information about your household income or medical conditions with you before speaking with an adviser. 

It can help to think about any question you want to ask, and to have something ready to takes notes with. 

Find out more about preparing for your call with an adviser.

Booklets and resources

Online tools and information

Booklets and resources

Other ways our support line can help

We know that cancer can impact all aspects of our lives. Our support line is made up of specialist teams who can help you with: 

To contact any of our teams call the Macmillan Support Line for free on 0808 808 00 00, chat online, or email us and you will be given the options and opening times for each team. 

Our commitment to service

Our customer charter [PDF] is our commitment to you and lets you know what you can expect from us.

We also provide a complaints procedure so you can highlight ways we can improve our service.

We hold the Advice Quality Standard, which provides you with assurance that the we have met certain criteria that demonstrate a commitment to quality.

About our information

This information has been produced by Macmillan's Digital Content Editor team and reviewed by Macmillan's Direct Services team.

Learn more about how we produce our cancer information.