Benefits

Hi  and welcome to the Online Community, although I am sorry to see you finding us and so sorry to hear about your husband.

You may find our various Macmillan Support Line Services to be helpful - call them on 0808 808 00 00 This free service covers Emotional Support, Practical Information. Clinical Information, Financial Support and Work Guidance mostly open 8.00 to 8.00 but check the link.

We also have these forums where you can connect with others supporting family and friends through their cancer journey: Carers Forum  and Friends and Family Forum  and Supporting someone with incurable cancer

Any cancer diagnosis brings a lot of stress and confusion but talking with people who are on the same journey can help a lot and will reduce the whirlwind wind that is rushing in your head.

Follow the link above and join the group by hitting the ‘Join the Group’ tab just under the main group name. At this point select how you want to receive email notifications when someone answers your posts.

You can either go to the 'Start a Discussion' tab just under the main group name. Set up your own Discussion and introduce yourself to the group - you could just copy an paste what you have in this first post. You can also have a look through the various threads by going into the ‘Discussions’ section.

We also have our ‘Ask an Expert’. section where you can post questions to our mostly Volunteer Experts but please allow 2 working days to get a reply.

Talking to people face to face can help a lot so check to see if you have any Local Macmillan Support Groups in your area or a Maggie’s Centre as these folks are amazing.

When you feel up to it try putting some information in your profile. This really helps others when answering. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. Just click on YOUR username, select 'Edit Profile'. Put as much or as little in your profile and you can amend it at any time - you can see members profiles by hitting our forum names.

All the very best.

Thanks The Highlander, just read your story, you have been through the mill but so pleased you have come out the other side. Unfortunately my husbands story wont have a happy ending but we are trying to stay positive, but trying to get finances sorted for the future, as you know time goes quickly and dont want to end up in a panic. We contacted Macmillan for advice but they just said abouf carers allowance, which I am not entitled to. Think we may have to go and speak to someone face to face. Continue with your good health, stay positive.

Hi , yes, you may want to go in to your local CAB Office or Maggie’s Centres and have a face to face talk with someone. The system is not fair at times but you do need to keep pushing the doors.

You say your husband is on Palliative care. Is your husband getting all the benefits he can get like PIP etc and if he is classed as terminal (don't like that term) he should be able to get a DS1500 form from his GP or Consultant to access end of life benefits.

All the best ((hugs))

Hi, yes my husband is getting all his benefits, a girl I work with husband works in benefit office and suggested we applies for PIP. He has Disability parking etc. No one has actually said the words terminal to us yet, just said not curable and palliative, but did at one point say he would only possibly survive for 2yrs, that was over a year ago. Dont know when they actually come to the point when palliative becomes terminal! Probably when cant offer any further treatment. We got the impression from last appointment that oncologist was thinking tumours increasing in liver, so maybe qhen we see her on Monday she will tell us he is no longer suitable for palliative treatment.

Hi Lesley, good to have a name ;)

I think you need to talk about this with his Consultant. I have seen folks on our various forums who have been classed as terminal getting the DS1500 benefits and still around for years!!

Worth having a look through the treads in the Carers Forum, Friends and Family Forum  and Supporting someone with incurable cancer forums..... or putting up your own posts.

Also - put DS1500 into the search tool on this page and you will see all the hits and discussions.

Highlander ((hugs))

Thanks Mike, will give it a go. Stay well