People diagnosed with cancer are coming under increasing financial pressure, with seven in 10 now facing unexpected costs that average 6,500 a year, forcing more than half to change their employment, research has found.
The Hidden Cost of Cancer report, commissioned by Zurich in August 2022, surveyed 300 UK adults who were either living with, diagnosed with, or had received the all clear from cancer in the last two years. It found that four in five (78 per cent) faced unexpected costs and increasing outgoings at an average of 541 per month.
In addition to the financial strain for people affected by the condition and their families, more than half (58 per cent) had been forced to change their employment because of the diagnosis, with common changes including a reduction in working hours (32 per cent) and pausing work altogether (26 per cent).
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Hannah Copeland, HR business partner at WorkNest, pointed out that, under the Equality Act 2010, people with cancer were automatically classed as disabled and were therefore protected from being treated less favourably than other workers.
“As part of their duty of care towards staff, employers are obliged to take reasonable steps to ensure the wellbeing of workers. This may mean making reasonable adjustments to make it easier for people who are classed as disabled to remain in work,” she said.
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