I’m currently having Chemo and will start Rads in a couple of months. Rads should be over Sept/Oct time.
I’m currently in the support group in ESA, I didn’t have a permanent job prior to diagnosis as I was doing Temporary work whilst I was looking for a permanent job. So I have no job to go back to.
Where I live the job situation is dire over the winter months and with the recession it’s getting ridiculous, there are over 200/300 applications even for minimum wage jobs. I had a skilled job before as an IT Sales Account Manager in a fairly niche area, so although difficult to find positions, there weren’t as many applications.
I don’t want to go back into Sales straight after treatment, would rather get a nice little part time job where I can turn up, do my job and go home, even if this means a cr*p salary.
However, does ESA just stop when you’ve finished treatment?
My OH is working full time but low pay, so we’ve had ESA Support Group payment, his salary and Tax Credits.
I need to know what happens as I’m really concerned that we’ll be up sh*t creek without a paddle if this all stops - we’re only just getting by as it is, with mortgage, bills, debts, car and food.
If all other payments stop we won’t actually be able to get by
Have you talked to a Macmillan Financial Advisor? They are trained to help in situations like this and would be able to advise you on what you are entitled to. Also they have a section on their website where you can answer a series of detailed questions about your own personal situation and it will give you a guide to what you may be entitled to.
macmillan.org.uk/HowWeCanHelp/FinancialSupport/FinancialSupport.aspx
Nymeria x
Thanks that’s a great help - I’ll have a look at this tomorrow when I have chance to sit down and absorb - too wiped to take all thatin at the mo 
xxx
My guess is that you might get moved from the support group (not expected to look for work while on chemo/rads) into the work-seekers group [whatever it’s called] part of ESA: they might even help you look for a job. Not your fault if there isn’t any! Do you know if they can prioritise you towards the top of those 300 seeking the entry level job, in the same way that internal candidates (eg redundancy redeployees) get priority in many firms over external candidates? Now that would be just too useful altogether.
Here is another thought: can someone like Remploy help you? They’re a specialist employment agency who specialise in helping people with a disability (includes cancer) find suitable work, or getting workplace adaptations, help with negotiations re. returning to work after accidents/illness etc. Remember that larger firms have a quota to employ disabled people. You have marketable skills and experience and a good long track record, which is more than a lot of those 300 will have. And leaving work because you had cancer is not in the same league as being fired for fraud, negligence or incompetence, you were just ill and now you’re a bit better and you’re getting ready to work again Just not quite up to speed yet, which is well reasonable to me. Good luck!
Another possibility might be to talk to your oncology team and ask if they might reschedule the treatment: if you could fit in a bit of work from your temp agency after chemo and before rads, while it’s available, and then do rads in the winter when there’s no work anyway? It’s okay to ask the agency for less challenging assignments than in the past. Could you ask your doctors if there is any clinical risk from delaying the treatment by a month or two? I would think they should at least consider it, as you already did the chemo.
Also, do talk to your lender if things get tight, they would far rather extend the term of your mortgage than sell your house, unless you’ve already been a really bad customer. Quite selfishly and good business, they get more interest that way and less hassle. And go for free debt advice *before* you really need it.
Hi I’ve been off sick with secondary breast cancer for 9 months and have run out of sick pay. I phoned the helpline and they advised me to get an ESA form but it’s 58 pages long and mean tested. Good luck.
I made a claim online, but too early down the road and it wasn’t 58 pages. Maybe I did something different, but it only took 30 minutes.
Apart from sick pay, we get nothing. No insurance pay outs, no benefits, zilch. We changed our mortgage to interest only and that’s freed up a little cash, but we are mortgaged for £35000, so you can imagine we don’t have much financial benefit monthly.
There is particularly no time period for ESA . It is up to your fitness. If you want to know more you can visit here qwikfix.co.uk/esa-phone-number/.