Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to ensure that the needs of cancer patients are addressed in the benefits system.

There are regular discussions with Cabinet ministers on a wide range of subjects but no specific discussions have taken place on the support for cancer patients within the benefits system.

As described in the NHS Long Term Plan, personalised care and support planning is being rolled out across the country, based upon the completion of holistic needs assessment and provision of ongoing support to self-manage their health and wellbeing. This will help ensure that the patient is signposted or referred to community support, including information on financial matters, such as benefits, and psychological support.