Benefits during treatment for cancer

[SheilaNaGig]

I am due to undergo surgery and possibly subsequent treatment for breast cancer.

And I have just been "let go" by my work, although I'm permitted to work on reduced hours till the eve of my surgery at the start of June.

I have no contract because it was cash in hand / self employment.

It totally sucks, but there it is.

I was going to be struggling for cash during treatment and recovery anyway, but the enforced reduction in hours means that I won't be able to build up any kind of financial cushion.

I have a lodger who's rent covers my mortgage, but I need money to pay bills and buy food.

Can anyone tell me if I'm entitled to some extra support while Im undergoing treatment and in recovery please?

 

[wiskey]

I believe macmillan offer advice on benefits.

Eta About benefits - Your finances - Macmillan Cancer Support

 

[SheilaNaGig]

Last time I spoke with them I wasn't eligible for anything because I'm a property owner. Or something like that.

I was working at the time, but obviously I can't be working whilst undergoing treatment and taking time to recover.

 

[Guineveretoo]

Do speak to Macmillan again. You should be entitled to some benefits. I would have thought ESA, so long as you've paid your NI.

I got that when I was recovering, right up until I surprised them all by getting a job.

Also, look into PIP. I only applied for that fairly recently and was surprised that I was successful. But it's a tricky one to apply for, and I don't know his disabled you are.

But I would strongly urge you to speak to MacMillan about this. It's the kind of thing they're really good at!

 

[ShiftyBagLady]

If you've paid your NI contributions you should be able to claim for contributions based ESA.youll need a sick note (or fit note, whatever they're calling it these days) from your doctor to support your ESA claim.
Remember to include any physical or mental health issues you may have on your ESA claim as they give you points (but no prizes) for different things while assessing your claim.
For example, they may say a cancer patient can move their arms and are therefore fit to work but if the same person has anxiety and depression that may limit them more...

You may be in a universal credit area, if you are then don't delay in applying for it as the first payment they give will be about six weeks after you claim.

You should also be able to get some council tax support, you apply separately for that and can do it online.

 

[nogojones]

It's been a little while, but from what I can recall you should be able to get ESA.

Are you receiving IV chemo or radiotherapy? Or waiting for it/ recovering from it? If you are I'm pretty sure you go into the ESA support group which can be up to £108 p/w rather than £72 P/W without any conditionality nonsense about looking for work.

Depending on how fucked up you are from the cancer and/or treatment you may be able to claim PIPs as well. I believe this will be based on what sort of support you need for mobility and care and is not really dependant on what illness you have.

Conditions like cancer and the treatment you receive vary hugely in how you feel. A few days after a cycle of chemo you may be knackered and need help from friends/ family to get meals down you, motivation to get out of bed, help with housework. Remember when you're filling the forms in to think about what your worst days are like.

As said Macmillan can be really helpful with this sort of stuff and somethimes offer services like going through your claim forms to make sure you don't get jerked about by the DWP. About benefits - Your finances - Macmillan Cancer Support

 

[ShiftyBagLady]

If you do apply for and get PIP you should also look into whether somebody caring for you can get carers allowance.

 

[Teaboy]

To be clear were you self-employed or cash in-hand? Basically have you been part of the tax system on your earnings?

 

[hash tag]

I too immediately thought of MacMillan.
In any event best SheilaNaGig

 

[panpete]

No advice just best of luck and hope you find some finance help you through this difficult time

 

[peterkro]

I'd try Macmillan as well,I know their face to face service is well oversubscribed with long waiting times but you should be able to arrange someone to speak to you on the phone who will give you the best way of going about sorting your benefits.It's quite likely your hospital has someone who deals with this kind of stuff also, or your GP's surgery.
(some years ago I got sickness benefit backdated for two years via the benefit person at my GP's)

 

[iona]

I'm not sure about surgery but if you're having, waiting for or recovering from chemotherapy or radiotherapy you don't have to fill in most of that bastarding ESA50 form which makes me hope they might make the process slightly less awful for cancer patients.

Seconding Macmillan for advice, but a decent benefits advisor from any local service should be able to help.

If you do go down the ESA or PIP route, this thread is great for advice and support.

 

[8115]

ESA and PIP, also don't forget to apply for a reduction in council tax (I don't think it's called council tax benefit any more). Macmillian might be helpful as mentioned upthread. I don't think your home counts as savings so you should be eligible for income related if not contribution based. That side is a little confusing though, just apply for ESA and let DWP sort out which one.

 

[SheilaNaGig]

Update:

I applied for ESA with a sick note, and then a second sick note.

But I'm not eligible. Because there is a shortfall in one of the two years from which they calculate my rights to benefits.

For this current claim, they look at tax years '14-'15 and '15-'16.

I took most of 2014 off because I was overseeing a major project. I had capital to live on a the time and plans for the future. I started work in October 2014 and worked at that hideous job through til the end of 2016 (got my P60 from them in April 2017). I worked self employed after that, for another person but without a contract. She sacked me in May this year, three weeks before this surgery.

So I've paid my stamp for the end of 2014 right through til April 2017.

But because of this £278 shortfall in 2014, I'm not able to claim ESA.

I'm so fucked.

They tell me that the household can be means tested for credits and other benefits, but for reasons that some will understand (if you've seen my monster-thread from last year) it's really kind of tricky to do that. In any case, the other earner in the house is on such a low and strangely organised income that I'm not sure it will be helpful at all.

I'm now looking for work. That's the only way out of this hole.

I'm certainly not ready to go back to work yet, but what else can I do?

If I had that £278, I'd pay it. But the black hole that is my finances doesn't allow that.

How the fuck do people cope.

 

[Maharani]

Sorry to hear this SheilaNaGig. I was lucky to have had insurance so I know crap all about the benefits available, although my old job involved helping people to apply for benefits and I know what a draconian and evil system it is. Sorry you have to go through this hell as well as all of the utter shite that comes with a cancer diagnosis. Solidarity to you.

 

[Guineveretoo]

I am surprised at this, as I thought you could apply to be in the support group for ESA which is not means tested. But perhaps you have to have paid your stamp for a certain number of years

What about Personal Independence Payment (used to be DLA)? It is a bastard of a form to fill in, but worth a try?

 

[8115]

Have you been to CAB?

I think you having a lodger is what's complicating things here. You might be better off getting rid of them and claiming mortgage interest benefit (although from memory that may be a loan now, or they were talking about making it into a loan) if you can do with only paying the interest on your mortgage for a bit. Although they might see you getting rid of the lodger as intentionally depriving yourself of income.

I'm so sorry you're going through this, I hope you're ok.

 

[B.I.G]

Surely if the 278 can be paid. This is an example for Gofundme or whatever.

 

[crossthebreeze]

I don't know your living situation, but means testing (income-related esa is a thing) will only look at your income and the income of your partner (if you have one) - not the income any housemate, lodger (though your income from rent will be counted), friend, relative or ex partner (even if they are living with you or have some financial connections). If you've got a complicated relationship with someone, whether they count as your partner for benefits purposes depends on many factors - whether you are in a sexual relationship and what your general relationship is like, whether you sleep in separate rooms, how often you shop, cook, and eat together, etc. It might be a good idea to get some advice from Macmillan or the CAB if you haven't already.

 

[geminisnake]

Does your local council have a welfare rights dept? I have no idea if English/Welsh councils do but Scottish ones do. You must be entitled to something ffs!! I get ESA income related, not sure I've had more than one job I paid tax on, they were all so crappily paid!
I'd also get onto CAB, they should be able to do a benefits check for you

 

[sheothebudworths]

Does your local council have a welfare rights dept? I have no idea if English/Welsh councils do but Scottish ones do. You must be entitled to something ffs!! I get ESA income related, not sure I've had more than one job I paid tax on, they were all so crappily paid!
I'd also get onto CAB, they should be able to do a benefits check for you

You'd still have been getting N.I. credits though - not working and claiming nothing would leave a gap there.

SheilaNaGig - are they saying you'd be eligible to claim NOW if you paid the missing £278 then, or were you simply meaning you'd pay the shortfall if you could, just to ensure any future entitlements aren't fucked, too?
If it's the former - fuck it, beg/borrow - if it's the latter, how soon would you be able to make another claim for ESA (/anything else)?