Financial strain

Financial strain

Financial strain Hello folks, don’t think this subject comes up very often. Most people (not cancer patients) assume that we get everything paid for. Well because we work we don’t, no ifs and buts thats it we pay for prescriptions dentists etc. I finished my radiotherapy in September 2004 and was on tamoxifen for a while but it didn’t suit, so 8 months ago I was put on to zoladex injections.
Since my treatment I have felt tired almost to the point of exhaustion, some days when I wake up all I can think about is going back to bed. During the last 2 years I have been off work sick a few times, last year in October cos I fell and broke some ribs, April this year with laryngitis and September this year with extreme nausea, possible side effects of Zoladex and this month I have been off again for 3 weeks with mouth abcesses, in the end I had the tooth out after 4 lots of anti= biotics. Am due to go back to work tomorrow but to be honest all I want to do is crawl away and sleep.
Due to having time off and being poorly my wages have dropped and dropped, company only pay sick pay for a certain time then its statutory only, last month I got full pay and I was delighted, managed to pay a few bills and dentist alone was £185.00. Today I am so upset, got wage slip and a note saying I was overp[aid last month so they have taken two weeks pay back leaving me a very small cheque. This seems like the last straw, I just wish I had never gone back to work in the first place, I am so tired al of teh time and now my money problems are getting on top of me. I know I should be feeling on top of world cos treatment isgoing so well but I just feel like I am in a dark tunnel.

I am very worried about the financial aspect too as I was unemployed and jobhunting when diagnosed. My husband had just gone self employed by starting a small business and isn’t making any real money yet. I’m trying to get IB and DLA because when I get to the rads stage it will mean a 40 odd mile round trip by car over 25 days plus parking. When I was in hospital for 5 days recently it cost my OH £25 in diesel to come and visit me.

We are currently using the money from a small pot of savings to pay council tax and bills, thankfully we don’t have mortgage as my house was left to me when my dad died. I think people in this situation should be entitled to something even if it’s only free prescriptions.

My brother has a work colleague whose wife works f/t but has been having treatment for ovarian cancer. She has been really too unwell to work and was able to claim IB at a reduced rate. There is some info on benefits on this site maybe you should take a look.

Hi Cherub, I know I am not entitled to benefits because I tried last year, I did get incapacity benefit when i was off work during treatment. During that time we used up all of our spare savings etc, I went back to work 3 months after I finished my rads, mainly becasue work was hassling me, they used to give me a call each week to see how I was doing but each time I felt as though they thought I was being lazy so I just gave up and went back. I think for me it was too early, my advice to anyone else is don’t be pushed into going back too early.
When I was having rads it was a 100 mile round trip, every weekday for 4 weeks, it was a nightmare.
Just seems that once you start to feel the strain financially you never seem to recover it, we were just getting back on top of things and now this.
Make sure you apply for your benefits, I have several friends with breast cancer - who I met along the way - and they are getting DLA or incapacity, stick with it, I really regret going back to work too soon.
Just feeling low today becasue of the bills - especially the dentist - am sure I will be back to my normal positive self tomorrow.
Take care and good luck

by the sounds of it you have gone past the 52 week rule after incap benefit where by if you fall ill again you can go back on it without having to fill the forms in again . it will also not be as much as you are earning now.
i am awaiting an answer for DLA, got refused the 1st time,boarder line now…
take care.
sharon. x

i am in the same boat Hi there I am sorry you are also having money problems when I was diagnosed I gave up work they left my job open for me I have been there for 6 years but I left for 6 months a few years ag to do temping, as i broke my service with them when I went on long term sick leave I was only payed 4 months full pay and 4 months half pay I have been on nothing since April. I had to give up my flat as me and partner both work in the same school and the pay is not at all good so his wage would not even cover our rent. we moved back with my parents which helped but then like you I still had to pay to get to the hospital every week sometimes up to 4 times a week witht the petrol money and parking in a hospital the money soon adds up plus all the perscriptions dental care ect. I was told by another cancer patient that there is a form you can get from your chemist called a HC2 form it is a carificate for full help with health costs. You get all parking at the hospital and petrol payed for all perscriptions, dental care eye sight tests glasses and contact lenses, wigs and fabic supports for free. I think as long as you are on a low or no income you can get it. I a now on Incapacity benefit and I get it all for free. Have you tried for a macmillian grant they are very good you get a one off payment up to £450. You can contact the macmillian cantre and they will be able to advice you on what bebfits you can get act.
I cant belive there is not much financial help out there for people with cancer I was told that I should not have given up my flat as they would have payed my rent and bills but they wont help my parents out even though they are having to support me and my partner and they are both retired so mon ey is very short in our house when only my partner work, why is it that If i had a child and couldnt support it I would be given a house and get a lot of benefis like all my friends get but as i have cancer there is no help out there for me.
Love Clairemm x x

Claire
well it’s 1am and I am still up and still worrying about money, christmas is going to be a nightmare. Yes I am past the 52 weeks cut off to go back on incapacity, I was only off work for 8 months at the beginning, work paid me full for 8 weeks of that because I had already had 4 weeks off with bursitis of my shoulder - caused by would you believe it my mammogram !!
Our finances were so strained I went back to work, I really regret that now, but such is life. I know how you feel about other people who seem to glide through life on a cushion of benefits, doesn’t seem fair at all. What makes me angry is when I am waiting in the chemist for a prescription and the people who want their methodone just walk to front of queue, get served immediately and don’t have to pay!!
It seems as if you have worked hard all of your life the government don’t want to know.
I have been off work a few weeks now with all of these abcesses etc, the shock came today with my wage slip in the post, the company are not paying me full sick pay, apparently if you are off more than 11 weeks in any 52 week period they will not pay it, so they stopped me 14 days pay which is only 1 day short of 3 weeks. Makes me so angry because people at work call in sick for next to nothing and I know people who call in sick so they can go out for the day and they get their money.
We are fighting cancer for gods sake we shouldn’t be forced into working when we don’t feel well enough, we shouldn’t have to give up our homes because we can’t afford the rent - what is this country coming to??
I wish you all the best and hope that one day soon you will be back in a place of your own.
A stable ox and ass come to mind, think it will be a bit of a bleak Chrsitmas for many of us this year.
Sandra xx

Have you Tried This ??? Sandra, have you tried completing this form HC11 you can download it from here, or should be able to get one from your GP , hope this link works

dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4078082&chk=XPwtgz

If not, just search on the Dept of health website

marge

Benefits and breast cancer factsheet by BCC Hi everyone
You may find our factsheet called ‘Benefits and breast cancer’ helpful to read, you can read this online via the following link:

breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/bcandbenefitsjuly06_0
.pdf

Kind regards
BCC Host

benefits Sorry to hear you are having financial problems on top of everything else. I am/was in much the same situation. I have had a recurrence and first time round my (excellent) employer paid me full salary for 3 months - although they legally did not have to do that. However, I left this company some years later and when I was dx with a recurrence, had just been on the point of accepting a new job. Obviously, I could not take up the job offer and now don’t feel able to look for another job. The financial strain has been tremendous, as my husband is also self employed and money comes in on a very irregular basis.

However, I am lucky that I was already in receipt of DLA for a different condition - so that heps a bit. DLA only starts paying out after 6 months of disability (unless you are terminal) and you have to prove that you either need help with walking or personal care. They are horrendsoulsy long forms, but well worth the trying! Just remember to state how you feel on your really bad days, not just what you can manage most days. DLA is paid irrespective of any other income/salary/benefit and will NOT be taken into account if applying for Income Support etc., so I would suggest that you give it a try.
Hope this helps.

Birgit