Hiya, hope you are all well?
I’ve got benefits advice this week, cutting a long story short, there’s not much help for us. SSP first 28 weeks, prescriptions etc, but with my husband’s income, no other help. My GP is against the suggestion that we try for DLA and have to kepp trying to appeal just to prove a point. My mother insists we can have Attendance Allowace, despite me being 40, not 65!
I have a FB friend, and she knows whats going in in my life, and this is a message I recieved re financial help. Can you read and advise please,
I know hun, but I will just say it as it is ok… when you are diagnosed with this you automatically are registered disabled, this opens the doors for everything. What we had to do was get the District nurse from u GPs round to fill in forms for that. Get onto McMillan who can give you an advocate who will sort out your money, pay, sick stuff like fares paid, grant for heating, clothes and fares. You will get mobility allowance if you find it difficult, and free prescriptions and adaptations to your home, do goole the McMillan site. But most of all be insistant. Mt friend had to go to job centre appts lol, even tho she was off sick from 2, it was a govt thing but once the paperwork filtered thu it was ok. You also get reduced council tax, bla bla, but get registered asap… my love its yours by right, Priceys money will have a bearing but get registered. And be insistant and positve, and google mcmillan. Much love, please call anytime. xxx
Hi Elttiks
Please don’t get your hopes up following this email from your fb friend. There are a number of points that she is wrong on from what I know as a social worker but also from looking at the numerous threads posted on here regarding income support.
When diagnosed with BC you do not automatically become registered disabled. What you are, is now covered under the auspices of the Disability discrimination act.
In order to get DLA (my son has autism so I am used to these forms) you must have the underlying condition (and effects) for 3 months prior to application and expected to have for at least a further 6 months. Such is the criteria for DLA that you are pretty much dependant on others for many aspects of your care. For mobility, you pretty much cant walk far or are a danger to yourself if out unattended in order to get this. Attendance allowance is for the over 65’s. (same criteria as DLA but awarded after person turns 65).
You are entitled to free prescriptions. Ask your GP to fill in prescription exemption form and you get small credit card type certificate which entitles you to free prescription for ALL your meds for next 5 years.
Such is the effect of government changes, criteria for access to social support has heightened, but you would not have been able to access such support even before this, based simply on BC diagnosis. Obviously we don’t know if you have any other underlying health and social need which the bc diagnosis could further impact upon.
Go to the library and they should have a book of charities and grant givers. It can be worth applying for things such as clothes and household things. Often the person applying needs to be professional but they will be used to this.
You wont get reduced council tax - other than the usual discount rules ie one adult in house hold etc, One example is for families that have needed to make full adaptation to a room for the benefit of predominantly physically disabled person can apply for discount.
It wont matter how insistent you are, if you dont meet criteria you wont get the benefits. My advice is do your research, talk to people that do this for a living so that you don’t keep banging your head on brickwalls. preserve your energy for your own health.
Hopefully others can chip in with this, but it sounds like you have already had husband wage taking into equation regarding thresholds for benefits.
I just wanted to pitch in here. I go along with most of what Karen has said. However, I also know from my own experience that if your District Nurse (in my case Rural Community Nurse) can help with the forms, it can be most helpful. Via my RCN (who was a great help)it was suggested I be referred to a MacMillan Nurse. She also did a lot for me and in the end I got benefits. Have you had a MacMillan Grant? I got a grant of £500 but that was 5 years ago so they may be cutting back. They do say they help with benefits so I should make a point of contacting Macmillan. My advice would be to try every avenue and don’t give up until you’ve tried them all. My GP was rubbish. However, I was 4 years misdagnosed so I could be biased here. Good luck.
Hi. What does a grant cover? Can someone explain?
We have decided to ask the mortgage people for a payment holiday and am meeting with them on Tuesday. I’m sure we took out some sort cover too, but in all fairness that was nearly 14 years ago, so i’ll let them help us.
Right now, we are fine financially. Last summer I was off work sick for four months. Initially with blackouts which it was suspected it was epilepsy. Lots of tests, and nothing. My GP thought it could be anxiety linked, and sinse starting beta blockers, have been able to get on, then this happens. The downside is because I was at home, we nibbled into our savings, so have no safety net, ie if the car breaks down, washing machine etc. Daughter needs school uniform, it all comes at once.
What a maze. You get bc, but it’s not just about our boobs, it’s endless! x
Hi, I am in a similar situation, I work in for the probation service, but because I am on a zero hour contract, I dont get sick pay, just SSP. I was concerned about my mortgage and contacted my lender. Despite the fact that I don’t have any sickness cover (that’ll teach me!!) they were very helpful and insisted that I didn’t worry about it as it was extenuating circumstances and they were willing to come to an agreement after my treatment.
Why dont you ring the MacMillan number currently being advertised on the tv, I rang them and they have sent me some claim forms for what I am entitled too.