just wondering if anyone is in the same boat as me, had to give up work for the time being due to bad shoulders and the risk of lymphodemia, also will be having a total hysterectomy on the 18th of this month, my ssp runs out on the 22nd of this month, for the last six months i have recieved half of my weekly pay, we still have the same bills, teenagers at school etc, due to my husband being paid just over what this goverment allows for any sort of benefit then we are really feeling the pinch, i am going to put in my claim for incapacity over the next week, and i know my gp seems determined that i will not get it as he has refused to sign me off for it, so it doesn’t matter that i have worked all my l life, or that i can’t if ever do the lifting that my job requires, i am expected to live on nothing but what my husband earns (that just about covers the bills with little left over) i don’t know what to do about this, any ideas anyone?
You can’t be put in a position where NEITHER unemployment benefit (Incapacity Benefit or Job Seekers Allowance) is available to you. The Job Centre will tell you that you cannot claim Job Seekers Allowance while in hospital because you are clearly not available to work!
Complain to the senior partner at your GP practice?
Ask a consultant at the hospital to sign you off sick (I don’t think it necessarily has to be your GP)?
Incapacity Benefit can be backdated if you request the pack in good time.
I would also add that you ask your employer for an ssp1 now detailing how much ssp you have received, don’t want until your ssp runs out. I was told when I made my application for incapacity that employer should provide ssp1 a month before ssp ends as when you make your application for incapacity it can take a little while to process and hopefully if you give ssp1 to them in plenty of time there should not be any (or at least a very short) gap between your ssp coming to an end and incapacity benefit taking over. I also agree with Holeybones complain to the Senior partner at your practice and if still not getting anywhere ask the Consultant at Hospital for a sick note.
Good luck, due to my employers wages person having no knowledge of correct procedures, I was left without money for seven weeks! and I was completely stressed out by it
Being single with a 14 year old daughter and a mortgage has definately made this bc more stressful. It has forced me to go back to work in between chemos in order to extend my full time ssp (altho in the end going back to work was a good move for me mentally). My full time ssp runs out beg of Feb so I just hope I am fit to go back to work before that.
But Alison I think the others are right in that you must be entitled to something - prob incapacity benefit. We have enough on our plates without having to worry financially too - yet another rotten part of this damned bc.
i did ring the incapacity department up and have got my ssp1, had to ring my doctors to get the sick note copies as my employer could not find mine!!! i did ask about a sick note for post surgery and they said no they couldn’t do that, but i have rang the gyni and he is going to right a detailed report of when i can expect to resume work after the hysterectomy so that i can send that in with my claim form, i also have had to ask for discharge letters from my previous ops as i never got them, so hopefully they will turn up soon, but how awful that you are made to feel like you have to beg for what you are legally entitled to! thank you all so much for your advice, i will let you know how i get on
I forgot to mention you would need your sick notes back, yeah my employers couldn’t find mine either, despite harrassing me for a sick note and was only on my third day sick! Needless to say I didn’t go back to work for them
Hi Denio, not sure i could go back even if i wanted to, its the sort of job where your always cutting yourself, its heavy lifting, so not only would i have problems with my arm, but apparently you can only lift so much if you’ve had a total hysterectomy as well, but they have said that they will try to find me another job in the offices, they are very good to work for, and to be honest, i’d hate to leave cos i really enjoyed my time there.
I don’t have much solid advice to offer but I’m a dab hand with the old links ;o)
Finally I recommend the website www.moneysavingexpert.com for anyone with money worries. There is lots of advice on ways to manage on a small budget, how to get benefits etc.
I hope you get the help you need with your finances soon.
I just wanted to add to the information you have already been given with a link to the Cancerbackup website, there is a lot of information about financial issues in relation to a cancer diagnosis which may be helpful to you:
hi silverlady, i just got turned down today for DLA, was a bit shocked actually as i know someone who gets a new car every three years, has never worked, is supposed to have a bad shoulder, yet rides a powerful motorbike to italy with his wife riding pillion, oh and she gets a carers allowance for him, i think you can only get that if your really really good at fiddling the system, just doesn’t work if your honest!!! thank you as well lucy, i shall have a look at that
i think if i get turned down for incapacity then i shall just have to return to work as soon as poss after my hysterectomy, if i have to lift then i have to lift, i really wish my husband was on crap money, we can’t even get ema for our 17 year old who is doing his A levels, they just don’t take into account the amount of tax you pay, your mortgage, rates, food etc, i am really beginning to think that we would be better off if we split up, my hubby can’t earn anymore than he does, and i know i didn’t earn a great deal, but i have worked all my life and what i earnt helped a lot, and when you need the help its just not there, makes me wonder what i paid into all these years. i have to be honest, i would rather scrub floors than ask this state we live in for anything, how dare they make us feel like scroungers. also, since when is a stiff shoulder been more serious than any type of cancer? i rang to get an explaination from the DLA, of course they couldn’t give me anymore than the fact that i can walk unaided, they do not take into account the mental stress, the loss of confidence, the fact that i can’t get in or out of a bath or fasten my own bra, that is not seen as being in the least bit disabled, and it doesn’t matter that i am having a total hysterectomy, i will still be able to walk! sorry, i am ranting but this has really really upset me.
It is worth approaching your local CAB for advice on benefits you may be entitled to and help in completing the forms. You should be entitled to incapacity benefit. This is based on your NI contributions. At some point (in my case, about 3 weeks into my claim) you will be sent a personality capacity assessment form to complete. Detail how you are affected by BC. Some of the questions sound demeaning- like whether or not you need help to go to the toilet- but if simple tasks are a problem, then put that on the form. Your employer should send you a SSP1 form with your most recent sick note- you don’t need all of them- before your sick pay runs out. If you get called in for a return to work interview by the Jobcentre- as I did 2 days before I was due to go back to work- then remember that you are entitled to privacy, and confidentiality, therefore you require a private room for your interview as the open plan office of the jobcentre is not an appropriate venue. I felt humiliated and demeaned by having to claim benefits and by my contact with the jobcentre. I felt like a scrounger however I tried to keep in mind that I have always worked, including after my son’s father left us, and I have paid a helluva lot into the system. I also lodged a formal complaint with the DWP about my experience with the jobcentre and, for what it’s worth, I got an apology.
Most claims for DLA get turned down the first time, but you might succeed at appeal. I think you have to appeal within 28 days so get cracking ASAP. If you can get advice from a benefits advice worker that would help.
Hi Alison.
I know the feeling that you are describing…thta the system made me feel that we have to beg for the amount of Financial assistance having paid into the tax system over the years through NI contribution.Well, even if I managed to have a little bit of allowance back then, they make sure that my PAYE code is reduced so that the govt can claim back what they gave me whilst i was off sick…at my amazement i even asked the taxcode dept dwp on what they do with people who receives allowances but no contribution through no earnings…they dont want to comment!!!
Anyway, currently, i am still on reduced PAYE code repaying the benefit but i must say that in times of my sickness,the little allowance was helpful on the financial situation.
If you are going to look for another job,try and get something which will not be detrimental to your health.There must be other jobs there where no lifting is involved.I hope you succeed on whatever you have decided.
Hi Alison
Gosh how i sympathise with your situation although your slightly better off than i was.
I was working 20 hours a week before Dx, before that i had a cash in hand job for 9 years both in childcare. I had not paid enough NI so only got a few weeks pay from my job. then nothing but my stamp paid. Hubby has a middle wage income so we got nothing, no benefits or anything.
what were we suppose to do with 2 kids at uni and one doing A’levels?
My £600 i got whilst working covered all the kids expenses. We had some savings which we have had to use, hubby has worked some weeks over 70 hours.
this summer i decided to go back and do bank work in childcare, then i started having severe back ache. After a recent MRI scan i have a torn tendon and tendonitis so have had to refuse work in nurseries with children.
I was promised re-training after a DHSS interview but when i got the results of that interview i had 1 point and no mention of re-training which i was excited about. The job centre didnt want to know me.
It is devastating enough to be DX with BC and not be able to work. For me my self esteem and inability to contribute to my family has more often than not made me feel useless.
I pay for dental treatment and prescriptions, my kids will leave uni with huge loans as we cannot afford to help them as much as we would like.
No one knows what a diagnosis of Cancer does to some people.
My family carers were adviced by my McMillan team and district nurses that they had to write down what I was like on my worst day whenever they completed any forms like DLA or similar.
They did have a heck of a fight on their hands.But I was only being paid SSP from my employer and don’t have a partner or any savings so financially life was initially very tough. However once everything got sorted out, then life became a bit more bearabale financially.
I got nothing all the way through my illness due to a 3 month gap in NI when I cared for my father full time a few years ago. I had worked all my life since 1977! I was self employed but jobhunting when diagnosed, OH had just started a business so we had a very low income. MacMillan told us to try for Working Tax Credit which we initally got turned down for. However, OH started working a few more hours so we applied again and got £96 a week, plus free prescriptions and we have just had free cavity wall insulation done because of WTC. This all came over 8 months after I started treatment.
Good news is the business is busy and I’ve got a new job starting in January.
hi all, well got and sent off all the details for incapacity, i am hoping i do get that or i shall be in touch with my local mp, like you liver my oh is middle wage and is keeping a family on benefits every month with what he pays in tax, oh well, i am going to shut up about this now and concentrate on my op next tuesday, its been bad enough that my blood pressure has been sky high and i am having to have it moderated all week!!! thank you all for your support, i really do appreciate it xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx will be back before next week, so take care xxxxx