If the costs of living with cancer have caused you to fall into debt, you can take the following simple steps to regain control of your finances.

Firstly check you are receiving all the benefits to which you are entitled. Many people with cancer miss out on benefits which are rightfully theirs – are you one of them? You may be surprised at how much you can increase your income.

Then you should prioritise your debts. It is crucial to deal with the most important ones first, for example, mortgage, rent arrears and utilities such as gas, electricity and water. Contact the organisations involved to discuss paying a reduced amount, or to arrange affordable monthly repayments. Most companies prefer to come to this kind of agreement rather than taking the matter to court.

You can use the same approach to deal with arrears in payments for furniture and other goods bought on credit. It can help if you let your creditors know why you are having financial problems.

You could also try your local Citizens Advice Bureau, Money Advice Centre or Law Centre – see the phone book for contact details.

The Consumer Credit Counselling Service is a charity that provides free and confidential professional counselling, and help with money management. Contact them on freephone 0800 138 1111 or visit www.cccs.co.uk.