Families of children with cancer will have travel costs covered

The government will set aside £10 million a year to cover travel costs for children and young people with cancer up to age 24, and the scheme is to be rolled out in England by 2027 as part of the government’s cancer strategy.

The government will pay travel costs for children and young people receiving cancer treatment in England under a new scheme. It will provide £10 million a year to cover journeys for patients up to the age of 24. The funding is included in the government’s cancer strategy and the scheme is planned to be rolled out by 2027. Key points: - £10 million a year has been pledged to cover travel for children and young people with cancer up to age 24. - The measure is included in the government’s cancer strategy and is due to be rolled out across England by 2027. - Research and charities report families often face monthly travel costs (around £250 on average) and some have gone into debt, and charities have campaigned for this change. - Until now, travel help in England was heavily means-tested and limited to people on certain benefits; Scotland has a more generous, though not universal, scheme. Summary: The announcement is intended to reduce the financial burden families face when travelling for specialist paediatric cancer treatment, following sustained campaigning by charities. The cancer strategy is being published this week and the travel support scheme is scheduled for rollout by 2027.