Young people with cancer in England face seven-month wait for disability benefits

Young Lives found 96% of families of young people with cancer faced additional travel costs of £250 a month on average. Photograph: Justin Paget/Getty Images

Young people with cancer in England are waiting an average of seven months before receiving disability benefits to support their treatment, research shows, prompting calls for people with a diagnosis to qualify for help immediately.

Research by the charity Young Lives shows the families of children with cancer on average face almost £700 each month in additional expenses during their treatment.