What benefits can I claim if my child has cancer?
Isabella Turner
Updated on January 23, 2026
Disability Living Allowance is a benefit for under 16s, who have a serious illness like cancer, a mental health condition, or a disability. DLA helps with day to day living costs. It’s not means tested, which means it’s not based on your income or savings. It also won’t affect any other benefits you’re getting.
What is the life expectancy of a child with leukemia?
Thanks to advances in treatment methods, the five-year survival rate for childhood leukemia has greatly improved over the past several decades. The five-year survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is now 90%. The five-year survival rate for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is lower, at 60-70%.
What is the most common age for childhood leukemia?
Key Statistics for Childhood Leukemia
- ALL is most common in early childhood, peaking between 2 and 5 years of age.
- AML tends to be more spread out across the childhood years, but it’s slightly more common during the first 2 years of life and during the teenage years.
Do you have a shorter life expectancy after having leukemia?
For the largest group of survivors by diagnosis-those with acute lymphoblastic leukemia-the gap in life expectancy decreased from 14.7 years (95% UI, 12.8-16.5 years) in 1970-1979 to 8.0 years (95% UI, 6.2-9.7 years).
Can a child with cancer qualify for disability?
Children with cancer almost always medically qualify for disability benefits, but financial qualifications can be challenging to meet. Children are eligible for Supplemental Security Income, or SSI.
Can you get disability for a child with cancer?
While Social Security can’t help with a cure, we can offer financial support to children with cancer or any other severe disability. If your child has cancer or another disabling condition, and if your family has low income and few resources, you may be able to get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for your child.
How I found out my son has leukemia?
Childhood leukemia is often found because a child has signs or symptoms that prompt a visit to the doctor. The doctor then orders blood tests, which might point to leukemia as the cause. The best way to find these leukemias early is to pay attention to the possible signs and symptoms of this disease.
Is leukemia in a child curable?
Most childhood leukemias have very high remission rates, with some up to 90%. Remission means that doctors see no cancer cells in the body. Most kids are cured of the disease. This means that they’re in permanent remission.
What are signs of leukemia in a child?
What are the symptoms of leukemia in children?
- Pale skin.
- Feeling tired, weak, or cold.
- Dizziness.
- Headaches.
- Shortness of breath, trouble breathing.
- Frequent or long-term infections.
- Fever.
- Easy bruising or bleeding, such as nosebleeds or bleeding gums.
What do leukemia spots look like?
Leukemia cutis appears as red or purplish red, and it occasionally looks dark red or brown. It affects the outer skin layer, the inner skin layer, and the layer of tissue beneath the skin. The rash can involve flushed skin, plaques, and scaly lesions. It most commonly appears on the trunk, arms, and legs.
What to do if your child has leukemia?
If you are facing childhood leukemia, we can help you learn about the treatment options and possible side effects, and point you to information and services to help in your cancer journey. Get information about how to live well after childhood leukemia treatment and make decisions about next steps.
When to talk to your doctor about leukemia?
It is important to talk to your doctor about your child’s distress during follow-up appointments. Surviving a serious disease like leukemia can be very distressing, and dealing with medical procedures, hospitalizations, and separation from family and friends can be extremely difficult.
What happens to white blood cells in children with leukemia?
When a child has leukemia, the bone marrow, for an unknown reason, begins to make white blood cells that do not mature correctly, but continue to reproduce themselves. Normal, healthy cells only reproduce when there is enough space for them to fit.
What do you need to know about juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia?
What Is Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia? Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a rare childhood cancer . It happens when immature blood cells (called blasts) make too many myelocytes and monocytes (two types of white blood cells).