'You have to beg and plead'

As a report by Macmillan Cancer Relief says cancer patients struggle to access the benefits they are entitled to, a man who has fought the disease tells of his own battle to get financial help.

Ray Strachan was not aware of the benefits he was entitled to at first

"You have to beg and plead for everything," says Ray Strachan who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1997.

"It shouldn't be like that, you have enough to deal with just staying alive and having to fight to get hold of benefits is the last thing you need."

Before he was diagnosed with cancer, the 50-year-old was running his own property management company but that folded as he fought for his life.

Within months of being diagnosed, doctors told him he had a tumour in his left kidney and it would have to be removed.

At first he had to get by on just £45 a week sickness benefit, not realising he was entitled to disability living allowance, income support and a care allowance.

It was only in 1999 that the father-of-two, from Huntly, Aberdeenshire, realised which benefits he was entitled to after discussing the situation with a Macmillan social worker.

It does not seem fair when you are fighting for your life Ray Strachan

Mr Strachan, who is now in remission, said: "I filled in the forms straight away but my application was rejected. I couldn't believe it.

"I appealed and the following year the appeal was upheld. I now get between £130 and £140 a week but the whole process was a battle from start to finish.

"I have just had to reapply for the benefits. It does not seem fair when you are fighting for your life.

"I was not aware of what benefits were available and even if I had been I would have had to wait a few months to be eligible.

"I just hope the system changes so no-one has to go through what I went through."