Run by Macmillan Cancer Support and Wolverhampton City Council's Welfare Rights Team, it has become the Wolverhampton and Shropshire Macmillan Welfare Rights Service and now offers help and support from New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.
Ranjit Klare, Wolverhampton and Shropshire Macmillan Welfare Rights Service Manager, said: "Cancer doesn't just affect you physically, it can impact on all aspects of your life and many people find a cancer diagnosis can bring money worries, due to being unable to work and increased costs such as travel to hospital or increased fuel bills.
"We will be there to help people living with cancer access the financial advice and support they are entitled to so they can focus on what's most important: their health."
The Wolverhampton Macmillan Welfare Rights Service has claimed a huge £4.6 million for almost 1,900 people affected by cancer in Wolverhampton since it was established in 2010. It has proved so successful the team secured £356,750 in additional funding from Macmillan to enhance the service in Wolverhampton and also expand it to support people affected by cancer in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales.
Councillor Elias Mattu, Wolverhampton City Council's Cabinet Member for Adults, said: "The Wolverhampton Macmillan Welfare Rights Service has played a hugely important role in helping local people with cancer get the financial support they deserve over the last 5 years, and I'd like to pay tribute to Ranjit and her team for their ongoing good work."
Tudor Humphreys, Macmillan Development Manager for Shropshire, Telford and the Black Country, said: "It's a testament to the dedication and success of the team in Wolverhampton that we have invested in them to expand their service. Every £1 Macmillan spends on funding a face to face benefits adviser helps people affected by cancer claim £19 in benefits they are entitled to.
"We know that worry, anxiety and fear is the top concern of people diagnosed with cancer and this service will help to ease some of those additional worries around money and ensure they don't have to face cancer alone."
To find out more about the Wolverhampton and Shropshire Macmillan Welfare Rights Service in Wolverhampton, and for help, please contact 01902 695780 or email wolverhampton.macmillan@wolverhampton.gov.uk. People can also call Macmillan free on 0808 808 00 00 or visit Type=links;Linkid=3341;Title=Macmillan cancer support;Target=_blank; for further information and support about cancer.
- released: Monday 6 July, 2015