The social aspects of psychosocial palliative care are relatively under researched, compared to the psychological. There is little palliative care literature on financial problems despite awareness that financial distress has a major impact on quality of life for people with cancer and their families. In the UK underclaiming of welfare benefits compounds their problems. A study on benefits advice for people affected by cancer was undertaken for Macmillan Cancer Relief to discover barriers which prevent people with cancer gaining the welfare benefits to which they are entitled, and to explore how best to provide information and advice. Research methods comprised analysis of literature; interviews with service providers; and questionnaire surveys of people with cancer, health and social care professionals, and organisations providing benefits advice. Considerable financial stress and barriers to obtaining welfare benefits were experienced by people with cancer and their families. Current advice services were insufficient. Informants believed an advice service was needed extending beyond benefits to broader financial information, linking insight into the impact of cancer with understanding of the financial assistance available. Services considered useful to help people affected by cancer obtain welfare benefits will be discussed, including variation between the views of the professionals and people with cancer in relation to benefits awareness training for staff. Recent workshops with palliative care professionals have provided insight into the low status of providing financial or benefits information and their ambivalence towards this task. There is anxiety related to the technical complexity of the benefits and other financial systems, and about broaching a potentially sensitive topic. The unmet financial needs of people affected by cancer require a greater response from palliative care.