A FINANCIAL support service has helped people with cancer secure more than £13.5million.

The Macmillan Cancer financial guidance service, based in Glasgow city centre, aids people whose lives have been turned upside down by the disease.

It has taken more than 10,000 calls a year from patients who are struggling financially.

Dedicated workers sift through bank statements, insurance policies, pensions and mortgage deals to uncover untapped pots of money.

Financial guidance service manager Mandy South said: "We ask people questions about themselves and on the basis of their answers we can give them guidance.

"When people are diagnosed with cancer they may have to stop work and find themselves unable to make mortgage payments or running up debts they don't know what to do with.

"They can struggle to understand insurance policies - 'what does this mean?' 'what does that mean?' - well, that's our job."

The financial service was founded by Mac-millan in November 2011. There are four guides, one team leader and a service manager, all with financial background.

They will help people with cancer or people affected by cancer - such as a spouse struggling to pay for funeral costs.

Around 51% of people who get in touch are cancer patients while the other 49% are family or carers.

For one client, the team found his wife had a death in service policy with her work - securing him £100,000.

The man had been afraid he would not be able to afford funeral costs for his wife and so was deeply relieved to receive the payout.

Richard Manson, a financial guide, also worked for the financial guidance service for more than two years.

He said: "We have found that 91% of people with cancer had their finances affected but 50% didn't know what to do about it.

"We are not about benefits. We fact-find for people, giving them information and options. We don't give people advice but we do give them options."

Mandy added: "Glas-gow has high rates of cancer and so there is a real need for our service. We can help anyone affected by cancer so ask people to get in touch to find out if we can help them."

The service runs 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 4.30pm on Fridays.

Call 0808 8080000 or see www.macmillan.org.uk/financeguide

catriona.stewart@ eveningtimes.co.uk