Are you going to just sit back and take this?

“The work capability assessment is designed to measure whether someone is able to work. It also allows us to recognise those who need additional support and ensure they get unconditional help.
To this end, we will take forward recommendations to treat people waiting for or between courses of chemotherapy in the same way as those already receiving it.”

Chris Grayling the Minister for Work and Pensions announced today (see above) that the forced re-assessment of people on Incapacity benefit will not include people on chemo.
Oh how very gracious of them. As if chemotherapy is the only form of medical treatment that can be truly debilitating.
And what about the people who have HAD chemo - all medics know that the side effects of chemo linger on for 12 months or more.
And how about the people on radiotherapy?
Or the ones struggling with hormone therapies or Herceptin?
Or the ones coping with lymphoedema?

This whole thing is appalling and I am frankly disgusted by the lack of response from the cancer charities.
Why am I not opening the newspaper to read how BCC et al are expressing grave concern about this issue?
Are you just going to let this Govt drag people along to be humiliated and bullied when they are at their most vulnerable?
Come on BCC - lets see some really full blooded lobbying on behalf of the women you represent.

And please can the comment on this site’s blog saying that this Govt announcement is a “welcome relief” be reconsidered. Preferably removed.
I don’t think anyone is “relieved” - I think people are still very peed off about the whole thing and I for one object to the fact that some unrepesentative editorial comment pertaining to this issue is in a prominent position on this site.

Agree absolutely! Chris Grayling is my local MP so watch this space!

AlexG

Agree 100% Msmolly. I also would like the comment about “welcome relief” removed from the site it is an insult to all those suffering any effects of cancer who may be affected by the latest government plans and wholly inappropriate for this site to promote.

Anne

Totally Agree, it’s a bloody disgrace and I’m furious. It sounds sanctimonious and as if we should all be on our knees with gratitude. Nobody asks to get this diease, why do we have to be assessed by some stranger who probably hasn’t a clue about it.

I could go on and on (as Anne will tell you I do rabbit on!!) but I’m just so angry that I’ll only end up even more stressed about it.

Take care, lots of love, Dianne x x x

Hello. I passed your comments to our policy & campaigns team, and here is the response from Olivia Marks-Woldman, Breast Cancer Care’s Head of Policy & Campaigns:

“Thank you for highlighting this and letting us know your views on this important issue. We are as concerned as you about any changes to the welfare and benefits system that may adversely affect women with breast cancer and let me assure you that we do express our concern on issues like this when we meet politicians and in our written responses to consultations – and we do try to do so passionately and vigorously.

You may be aware of our EMPLOY campaign last year which highlighted good practice in employing people with breast cancer – and emphasized the need not to make assumptions about when individuals are, or are not, ready for work.

In this particular instance, it may be helpful to first clarify the details of the government announcement.

The changes announced mean that people who are on Incapacity Benefit will be reassessed to either:

* move onto Jobseeker’s Allowance if they are deemed capable of work,

* switch to the Employment & Support Allowance (ESA) if they need support while preparing for work,

* or those people who are most disabled or terminally ill will not be expected to look for work and will get the extra support they need on the ESA.

These changes are being implemented to phase out Incapacity Benefit but claimants still eligible will receive support under a benefit by another name. This process will occur over the next few years but will not affect anyone already receiving the ESA. The switchover will mean that people on the old Incapacity Benefit will have to undertake a work capability assessment to make sure they are diverted to either the ESA or Jobseeker’s Allowance.

While this may be stressful and frustrating for women with breast cancer claiming Incapacity Benefit, the announced change will mean just one assessment to determine their status.

Certain groups of people automatically qualify for the ESA (are found to have limited capacity for work) without having to satisfy the work capability assessment. These include:

• terminally ill people

• anyone receiving non-oral (intravenous, intraperitoneal or inthrathecal) chemotherapy or recovering from that treatment,

• an inpatient in hospital or recovering from treatment as an inpatient,

• anyone receiving radiotherapy or recovering from that treatment

• and those who put at risk their or anyone else’s mental or physical health by working.

The point we were making in our newsblog was that within this change from Incapacity Benefit to the ESA, which will undoubtedly affect some women with breast cancer but hopefully not to the extent that they will stop receiving their benefit, people waiting for or between courses of chemotherapy will now not be expected to go for a work capability assessment. People receiving chemotherapy were already exempt from attending the work capability assessment so for the group of patients who are waiting for, or are between courses, this is good news.

We didn’t mean to suggest that we support all of the government’s recent proposals and we accept that it might have appeared that way, given that it is the only item we have featured about the proposals so far.

We are keeping a close eye on the proposed developments, and we continue to incorporate views of people with breast cancer in our work. Our policy team weighs up how to make the greatest impact with government and we choose our lobbying methods carefully and always have to assess where our resources are best placed for maximum benefit to women with breast cancer. If you want to be involved in helping to set our policy agenda please consider joining Breast Cancer Voices, which is the channel through which we actively seek people’s views on issues like these.

If you are worried about these changes or any other financial issue related to cancer, Macmillan provide a lot of useful information both online (macmillan.org.uk/HowWeCanHelp/FinancialSupport/FinancialSupport.aspx) and on the phone (0808 808 00 00)."

Olivia Marks-Woldman
Head of Policy and Campaigns
Breast Cancer Care

Thank you for that Leah and Olivia.
“Only one assesment”?! But these assesments ARE the problem! There are some horror stories of disabled and long term sick being denied their benefits at the stroke of a pen.

I won’t be allowed to post anything in detail here but if people are interested in this issue they might like to explore ATOS and complaints in their favourite search engine. ATOS are the private company which carry out the benefits health assessments on behalf of the Govt.

I work as an advice worker and I have to say our organisation is reeling from the effects of ESA medicals.

Since Christmas I have personally helped a considerable number of people that are in the category you are talking about.

They have recently finished chemo and/or are struggling with side effects from hormonals.
In all instances these woman have scored 0 points (out of the 15 needed) and so are deemed fit for work.

One lady that I am currently representing at an appeal has IBC, pneumonitis (sp) (radiation damage to lung), fatigue from hormonals, nerve damage in her hands and anxiety and depression. A consultant on behalf of the Civil Service has deemed she is unfit to return (ill-health retirement).

However she did not score 1 point on the medical. The registered health care professional (who does not have to be a doctor) stated that there was no reason she should not return to work, this made in a 20 minute interview, mostly conducted on the computer.

Her GP is horrified but unfortunately his opinion counts for nothing at this stage.

These are very real issues. What struck me most significatly was the comment from the DWP decision maker (person that weighs up evidence), was that her anxiety and depression was ‘only related to the breast cancer’. Oh well, that makes it ok then…Grrrrrrr

That is very interesting Juliet.
Yesterday I head of a woman who has a debilitating neurological condition. She is in a wheelchair and prone to fits. She is doubly incontinent. In any sane world she would be regarded as suffering from life limiting disabilities. But she failed her assessment and has lost her benefits - they said that as she was able to use a telephone she could find work doing telesales.
A couple of months ago the BBC covered a story of a woman who worked for the civil service. She had to undergo compulsory annual medical assessment (by ATOS) and was found to be too ill to work and was made redundant. She applied for sickness benefits, was assessed by guess who? Yes - ATOS. But this time they found she WAS fit to work and she was denied any benefits.
There are so many appalling stories - the whole situation is a disgrace.
And to make matters worse people have become completely hoodwinked by all this tabloid ranting about benefit cheats and shirkers so now anyone in need of health-related benefits is made to feel like some kind of criminal.

Hi Juliet and Ms Molly,

Just been reading your posts and am appalled at the treatment being dished out. It’s extremely worrying for everyone. When is all this assessment going to take place? Is it when the three year term for DLA runs out or is it imminent? I try to make light of this dreadful illness on here to keep people’s spirits up, but this has really scared me. The thing is that I look fine, (overmadeup blonde etc.) However, the reality is that when I get up in a morning it takes ages for me to become mobile. I’m on Arimidex and Bondronat for liver and spine secondaries and the joint pain is crippling, it’s even getting into my fingers now. I just couldn’t face going to a job although I loved working (I was an NVQ assessor) I couldn’t possibly drive the long distances involved every day and then have to come home and start inputting all the info onto the computer. I’m 62 now and only finished in January when this was dx’d. I will really appreciate any more info that you can give us.

Other than that, I hope you are feeling well today. Take care of yourselves. Thanks in advance. Lots of love, Dianne x x x

Dianne this is in relation to Incapacity Benefit/ESA. Basically they are having a great big cull - allegedly to punish benefit cheats and also to “support people into employment.” Reality is that a great many sick people are being subjected to terrible stress and having their benefits withdrawn. My friend’s severely autistic son has just had his benefit stopped because they say he is capable of doing repetitive manual labour. He cannot get a bus by himself, feed himself or make a phone call yet these people think he should get to work in some kind of factory.
I don’t know what is happening to our country. When did it become so callous?

In your case with DLA you should be fine because of your secondaries diagnosis.
There was an excellent thread about this 3yr DLA business in the secondaries section - breastcancercare.org.uk/forum/dla-special-rules-3-years-on-t26357.html
Some very well informed women there who are up to speed with the specifics for women with secondaries.
Why don’t you have a chat with Macmillan benefits advice people just to set your mind at rest?
Take care.

Hi Ms Molly, thanks so much for the info, you’ve put my mind at rest. I don’t understand much about benefits or DLA or the difference between them all. I’ve never claimed for anything in my life until now with the DLA, so I just assumed it was all the same thing. Once again, thanks a lot, it’s much appreciated. Have a good day. Take care, lotsa love, Dianne x x x

Hi everyone I spotted this thread and was surprised to see the company ATOS mentioned.I work in Community Health Services (NHS) and a company with this name got the tender for our Occ Health provision. I know they have already tried to send one member of staff back to work full time as a District Nurse ( she did not have BC)she had to be collected by her manager helped into and out of the car and into the consultation room and spent under 10 mins there. Her legs were so swollen with oedema that she could hardly move unaided.I had a telephone consultation with one of their ‘advisors’ after which she wrote to HR that my prognosis could only be considered uncertain, guarded and precarious’this is with primary BC grade 1 and on chemo at that time prior to WLE and ANC. I had 3 days off all the time I was having chemo and those only because my manager finally found out I was working before and after my chemo sessions and insisted that I take off days for chemos4-6. But my point really is I feel that there is a real conflict of interests here. If ATOS advise the govt but also do the workplace health assessments a lot of people could be potentially snookered. Ms Molly you are so right the benefits system should not discriminate against those with cancer. Making people jump through hoops is so unfair. Have a good week-end Jackie