Hello all. I was recently given a breast cancer diagnosis and the plan so far is surgery and radiotherapy. I am self-employed, and work online as a service based business. It is just me, I work with clients 1:1 and run an online paid membership. If I can't work, I don't make money, and right now I am really struggling m*ntally to do anything work related - it all feels too much along side trying to get to appointments (My husband and I don't drive, and we have an anx*ous dog who needs a sitter when we are out - all costs money). I see that Macmillan no longer offer grants. I have put a critical illness claim in to my life insurance, so honestly I am praying for something from that to cover bills for the next month or two. As I'm not on benefits, it seems I can't claim anything, but I am going to use the benefits calculator to see if I can get any help at all. My husband works part time and is a student. My cancer is grade 3 but stage is not known yet, I have a meeting with my team tomorrow about my MRI results. Has anyone else been in this position as a self-employed person? We have no savings and scrape by every month mostly by selling items on Vinted etc but we will run out of things we have to sell soon. I get awful anx*ety on the phone so haven't called the helpline yet - I did call a financial advisor a couple of years ago through a bank and the person I spoke to was really n*sty and horrible to me, so it's given me the absolute fe*r about calling for financial help. I looked into patient transport as my hospital is two train rides away and we don't drive, but was told as I'm not on benefits I am not entitled to it. (Have starred words that I think were flagged)
Any advice would be so appreciated, thank you
Hi Moonfern welcome to the forum..I can empathise with your situation which as you say is causing untold anxiety for you and hubby 
️. I know you said you have had a previous bad experience speaking on the phone but I assure you the folk at Macmillan helpline are neither nasty nor horrible buy the exact opposite of those. They will be able to direct you to sources of support for you. Do you have a citizens Advice bureau nearby you, we have one locally and they do fantastic work also to support people. Seriously think about calling Macmillan. 08088080000. Best Wishes and I hope that you get a resolution..Gail xxx
Do follow up on what GRANNY59 has highlighted….. although I was working in teaching in Further Education (teaching Joinery) for the first 12 years of my Lymphoma diagnosis (first diagnosed in 1999) I took early retirement due to stress and set up as a Self Employed Joiner…..
Then my condition became aggressive so I had to stop working completely.
I talked with both Macmillan and CAB and they guided me through the system to get Contribution Based ESA (Employment Support Allowance) for self employed people.
When I called DWP about the ESA they said as I had not been making enough being Self Employed so I had not needed to pay NI contributions for the past 2 years…… But they told me to pay the 2 years contributions (about £150) and I got ESA for about 8 years…… and that was with me having a teachers pension, a lump sum retirement pay out and my wife working full time.
They also helped me navigate PIP…. and I eventually was getting PIP for about 4 years…… give them a call.
