Just diagnosed: everyday life

You don’t have to tell your employer about your diagnosis. But cancer is classed as a disability under UK equality law, so if you do tell your employer, they mustn’t discriminate against you. They also have to consider "reasonable adjustments" to help you carry on working.

So if you tell your manager or HR department about your diagnosis, you can discuss things like changes to your working hours, working from home, and having time off for medical appointments. If you need extended time off, you’ll want to discuss how your employer can support your return to work.

You should also tell your workplace that you are at higher risk from infections like covid, flu and stomach bugs. This should trigger a risk assessment to look at ways to keep you safe at work.

Whether you can carry on working will depend on what sort of work you do and how the blood cancer and its treatment affect you. Your hospital team will be able to advise you about how things might change for you physically and mentally, and how long your treatment is likely to last.

Read more about working with blood cancer and dealing with problems at work.

Hospitals sometimes have social workers or welfare rights advisers who can advise you on any benefits you’re able to claim. This might be especially useful if you’re on a low income or are unemployed.

You may be able to apply for support with travelling to medical appointments. And as someone with cancer, you should qualify for free prescriptions.

Read our information on help with costs. This has the latest information about financial support if you can't work. We also have tips to help you manage your money. Citizens Advice and Macmillan are also good sources of information.

If you are worried about how you will manage financially, contact our Support Service.

If you're a student, speak to your hospital team about your treatment plan, and whether they think you will be able to continue studying.

With this information, you can talk to your college or university about taking a break, or getting extra support such as more time for assignments. Cancer is classed as a disability under UK equality law, so contact the disability service at your university or college as soon as you can to get the help you need.

We have more information on study, university and work for young adults.

Sometimes the effects of blood cancer or treatment might mean you need support with daily activities, such as:

• cooking
• shopping
• cleaning
• caring for children or other family members
• getting to appointments.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family or friends if you can. They might want to help but aren’t sure how. It’s often helpful to tell them specific things they can support you with.

Your hospital team or GP can also help you get any practical support you might need. They can arrange for you to see a social worker to assess what support you need.