This may be a difficult time financially. The person you are looking after might have provided the main income for your household before becoming ill. You may have decided together that you should give up work, or work part-time, in order to be at home. You may have to find the money for additional expenses such as extra heating, laundry charges, and special equipment or dietary needs.

The following information on benefits and allowances is correct at the time of printing. However, as these change from time to time, please always check the current situation, and whether you are eligible, from one of the organisations listed below:

• your local social security office, also known as the Job Centre Plus office
• Department for Work and Pensions website at www.dwp.gov.uk
• your social worker or social services department
• the local Citizens Advice Bureau
• the local welfare rights unit
• the local law centre
• a carers' or cancer support group (see support organisations)
• Carers' UK
• Benefit Enquiry line – Freephone 0800 882 200 or Textphone 0800 243 355

To find your nearest Benefit Agency (social security) office, look for the Department for Work and Pensions advert in the business numbers section of the phone book. You can also find numbers there for your local Citizens Advice Bureau or law centre.

You should claim as soon as possible so that your relative or friend doesn’t lose out on any benefits. Payments are usually paid directly into an account of your choice.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

This allowance is for people under 65 who need help with personal care (the care component) and/or getting around (the mobility component). There are different levels of payment for each component depending on how much support and care the person with cancer needs.

There are ‘special rules’ for anyone who is not expected to live longer than six months because of an illness. Getting paid under the special rules means:

• the highest rate of payment for help with personal care is given automatically
• claims are given priority and dealt with more quickly
• payment is made straight away.

You can claim on behalf of the person you are caring for. They don't have to be told that the claim is being made for them under the special rules. Payments made under special rules are for a maximum period of three years. 

The care component of the DLA can sometimes be paid to someone who is in a hospice, residential care home or hospital.

Attendance Allowance (AA)

This allowance is for people of 65 or over who need help with personal care. There is no mobility component. The amount of benefit paid will depend on how much support and care the person needs. Attendance Allowance is also payable under special rules.

Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance are not means-tested and are not taxable.

Carer’s Allowance (CA)

This is a carer's allowance that is paid directly to you each week if you:

• are aged 16 or over
• spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone.

You can’t claim carer’s allowance if you:

• are in full-time education with 21 or more hours a week of supervised study
• earn more than £87 a week (after certain deductions).

For you to receive Carers Allowance, the person you care for must be receiving Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance Care Component (middle or higher rates). It also helps to protect your state pension. Carer’s Allowance may affect other benefits and allowances that you, or the person you care for, are receiving.

If you are eligible for Income Support, this will ‘top-up’ your Carer’s Allowance and will include a carer premium.

Income Support

This is available if you are aged 16–60 and work for less than 16 hours each week. If you have a partner, they must be working less than 24 hours a week. Your savings have to be below a specified limit.

Pension Credit

This is a means-tested benefit for people whose income is below a certain level. There are two parts:

• Guarantee Credit, which is for people aged 60 and over
• Savings Credit, which is for people aged 65 and over.

Claimants will qualify depending on their circumstances. For more information call the pension credit helpline on 0800 991 234 or textphone 0800 169 0133.

Income Support and Pension Credit may entitle you to a number of other benefits including Housing and Council Tax benefit, help with NHS costs (prescriptions, hospital fares, dental and optical treatment) and Community Care grants.

Child Tax Credit

This is a payment to support families with children that are still in full-time education or approved training. You do not have to be working to get this.

Working Tax Credit

This is a payment that ‘tops-up’ your earnings if you are working and on a low income, even if you have no children.

Community Care Grants

These are available from the Social Fund for people on Income Support, Pension Guarantee Credit and Income-based Job Seekers Allowance, and are designed to help people be cared for at home. Grants will be considered for items such as bedding, clothing, a washing machine or drier.

Macmillan Cancer Support gives more than £8 million a year in grants to people who have cancer or who are dealing with its effects. Grants can be made for home care, sitters, home nursing, travel expenses, holidays, heating, clothing, bedding, telephone installation and domestic bills. It also provides money for smaller items like fans, heaters and liquidisers (for people on liquid diets).

Application for a grant has to be made through a Macmillan nurse, social worker or district nurse. Grants are not made to single people who have savings of more than £6000 or couples with savings of more than £8000. Your household disposable income should be under £100 per person per week.

You may be able to get some financial help from charities. A useful book which gives details of all the charities and what they provide is A Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need. Most libraries have, or can get, a copy of it. Many trades unions and professional organisations also have benevolent funds which can provide financial help and advice. Details are in The Charities Digest which is held in most libraries.

The Association of Charity Officers is an organisation that tries to help people find charities that may be able to offer some financial assistance. Using information about your relative or friend, such as their occupation, religion and where they live, the association can usually find relevant charities to help.

If you, and/or the person you are caring for, are employed, the human resources, personnel or welfare officer at your workplace can be an important source of information and help.

If you have a mortgage and are having difficulty paying it, contact the manager of the building society or lender as soon as possible and explain what has happened. They may agree to suspend payments for a while to give you time to sort yourself out, or suggest that you pay only the interest on the loan for a while. Another solution is to extend the term of the mortgage so that you have less to pay each month.

If you are claiming Income Support, you might be able to get help with paying the interest on your mortgage from the Department for Work and Pensions.

If the person you are caring for is unable to manage their financial affairs, they can give you Power of Attorney. This means that you have the legal right to act on their behalf. Obviously, you will need to discuss this. Although it may be more convenient on a practical level, the person you are caring for may find it difficult emotionally to hand over to you formally like this.

If they are not capable mentally of making the decision to give you Power of Attorney, you will have to either apply to the Court of Protection (if you live in England or Wales) or the Public Guardian (if you live in Scotland), before you can act on their behalf. If you need advice, contact a solicitor, your local Citizens Advice Bureau or law centre.