Families 'spiralling into debt after child cancer diagnosis'

Having a child with cancer can plunge a family into debt, a charity has warned.

Many affected families have to grapple with financial worries on top of the health concerns they have for an ill child, the cancer charity CLIC Sargent said.

The charity's latest report estimates that having a child with cancer costs families around £600 extra a month due to hotel stays near specialist hospitals, travel and food.

As well as the additional financial burden, 42% of parents polled by the charity said they stopped working in order to care for the child.

Around 3,800 children and young people aged 24 and under are diagnosed with cancer across the UK each year, the report said.

The charity polled 149 young people and 279 parents and found that three in five parents end up in debt as a result of a child's cancer diagnosis - with one in six borrowing more than £5,000.

CLIC Sargent chief executive Kate Lee said: "The pressure of managing finances causes considerable stress and anxiety during what is an already impossible time for families.

"Following the initial shock of diagnosis, treatment often starts immediately and can take place far from home. Suddenly families see their lives transform, as their priorities shift to support their child through their illness. And, as our report reveals, hundreds of families are struggling to keep their heads above water financially and need more help.

"CLIC Sargent will continue be there for as many children and families as we can by providing practical and financial support, but more needs to be done to ease this financial burden and help these families cope with the impact of cancer on their lives."

The charity provides a £170 grant to families following diagnosis and offers free accommodation at 10 Homes from Home, which are based near hospitals around the UK where children are treated for cancer.

CLIC Sargent has made a series of recommendations for the Government, banks and energy suppliers to help affected families. It has also launched a petition calling for ministers to do more to help families facing the financial burden of childhood cancer.