Supporting patients and families through the practical challenges of illness

Serious illness brings more than medical challenges, and at St Luke’s Hospice, Samantha Ruck from Citizens Advice helps patients and families manage the financial and practical side so they can focus on what matters most

Making every moment matter means supporting people in every part of their lives. Not just their care, but the practical challenges that come with it.

When someone is living with a serious illness, it can affect their ability to work, their income, and their confidence in managing everyday life. It can also mean trying to make sense of complicated systems at a time when everything already feels uncertain.

That’s why St Luke’s works with trusted partners to make sure patients, families and carers can access the right advice, at the right time.

Samantha Ruck is a Welfare Benefits Advisor from Citizens Advice in Harrow. She visits St Luke’s Hospice each month as part of a programme funded by Macmillan Cancer Support, offering specialist advice to people living with cancer in Brent, Ealing and Harrow.

Her role is to help people understand what support they may be entitled to, and to guide them through the process which can be a long and stressful time in their lives.

“When people go on their cancer journey, they’re often looking at nine to 12 months out of work or even longer,” she explains. “They might get some work sick pay for part of that time, but then it’s further financial support once that comes to an end.

“People just aren’t aware of the benefits they might be entitled to – means or non-means tested benefits,  disability benefits and travel concessions that are out there because it’s a very confusing system,” she says.

Samantha is a familiar face at St Luke’s, working with patients through both the Macmillan-funded service and the Living Well programme, helping people understand what support is available and where to turn for help.

She enjoys the work: “It’s very fulfilling — helping people and being able to give them that extra support. We have good outcomes for patients who are very thankful ” she says.

By working with partners, St Luke’s provides practical support alongside clinical care,  helping ease pressure at a difficult time and giving people more certainty when they need it most.