Can anyone please advise where i need to go or what to do i am desparate!! I have just started on the chemo journey and am unable to work at the moment my employer has been given 6 mth sick note and has been kept upto speed however, in my wage packet this month i only received £68! i LIve on my own and have a mortgage and bills to pay!!! I am sure there must be other people like me. thank you
Hi Feline,
I think the first thing you should do is contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau who will be able to help you on this one. You could also give the helpline here a ring and they may be able to make some alternative suggestions. Lines open at 9am, calls are free, 0808 800 6000
Hope this helps,
Jo, Facilitator
Feline,Oh my God ,you cannot manage on that!
I know Macmillan cancer support will help with finances/benefits and can even offer a grant to help you.Or do you have a Maggies centre near you?
You also need to ask your employer or check your contract for your sick leave allowance.Do you have a union rep?
Also check if you have a critical illness policy ,maybe with your mortgage.
Good luck,
Hugs
Dot
x
Hi,
I think you need to contact your employer and ask about your pay and explain that this will cause you severe problems. I don’t quite understand when you say the employer gave you a sick note, I thought they were what i got from my GP. You would normally be on statutory sick pay but a new system has just come in, from last week. This is all organised by your local job centre so give them a ring about it. If not then it is income support but that comes from the same office too now. They are trying to do everything together in one claim. My incapacity claim went through just before the changes but I had to have quite a lot of info for them. They filled it in from my answers and then posted it to me to confirm and sign. If you plan to go back to your job it seems straight forward, just had to give in SSP1 (as I have already had 28 weeks of statutory sick pay) and another sicknote frrom the GP and some evidence of my illness. You need to be able to explain what your firm are doing though, so I would sort that one first.
Lots of luck, ring them today
Lily x
hi guys
apparently they made a mistake with my salary and forgot to mark sick days therefore they are going to send me outstanding ssp via bacs! obviously this still wont be enough to live on so i will have to get help elsewhere and i have spoken to job centre today who have given me a number to ring THANKS TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT x Thanks Lily you take care
Hi Feline,
glad to hear things are starting to look a bit better. As mentioned above Macmillan will give you a lump sum too for washing machines, a holiday, etc - I think they do this through your chemotherapy unit, so you could ask next time you are in. I am on half pay now, which is a lot less than usual. The incapacity pay is an automatic entitlement so not means tested. It is about £64 a week I believe, so not a lot if your wages are usually quite high, but better than a kick up the backside!!! You can also add lots more for kids at home, a partner over 60, council tax reduction, etc but only if you are below certain amounts of income. Your lower pay may make you ekigible for more working tax credit, etc, depending on income. I didn’t get anything except the basic but worth asking.
Big hugs and hope you are not too poorly on the chemo
Lily x