Hi Alf and welcome to the forum, although I am sorry to hear what has brought you here.  Sounds like you have had a really rough time and I am glad to see that you are now on your last chemo.  I hope the treatment has gone well and done its job.

With regards to benefits - I am pretty sure you can definitely claim PIP, from what I can see on the Government site this benefit is available to both employees and self-employed.  I found the McMillan nurses at our local hospital a Godsend with helping me claim the benefits to which I was entitled. They even filled in all the necessary forms, got my doctor to sign them and then sent them off for me!  It may be worth popping in to see them or giving them a call.

I hope the last chemo goes ok and you get back to good health quickly.  Good luck to you and let us know how you are getting on.  Onwards and upwards as you so rightly say x

Cheers for the reply 

Hi Alf

I am also self employed and have just been through a year of on/off working while dealing with cancer. I tried to claim some benefits (the first time in 40 odd years of working life) but there was always some clause that made me ineligible. I had to drag myself to work on many days when I was feeling really ill and tired, from the disease and the treatment side effects, to keep rent and bills paid. It seems that us self employed people really do get a rough deal. For both of us it would have been financially more beneficial to never have worked and been on benefits. Good advice from other posters re McMillan nurses helping out. I beleive that there is a hardship fund from one of the cancer charities that you can apply to. I never did get any help financially, I am now broke and in debt but back at work and still alive and kicking.

Alf,

Sorry to hear of your predicament. Max is right - PIP isn't exactly generous but it isn't means tested and if you have a terminal diagnosis you will automatically get the higher rate. If you haven't been claiming it I found that I was able to claim it backdated to the date of my diagnosis. The local MacMillan service did all the donkey work for me, which was a help as I was on chemo at the time and feeling like cr@p.

It isn't being self employed that makes people inelegible for benefits. It is the ridiculously low level at which the bar is set for savings and "other income" which disqualifies people regardless of what our financial commitments are from qualifying for means-tested benefits. 

I hope your chemo gives you the outcome you need :-)

Cheers and good luck!
Dave

Thanks for that Davek

The PIP isn't means tested but you can be very ill and still not be eligible for it, because you are able to look after yourself take your tablets cook bathe and eat. In these days of £1000 + monthly rents and other costs £54 week is not going to save the day. Housing benefit was calculated at a rent of £89 a week! where on earth can you rent anything for £89 a week in the private sector, not even a shared bedsit. The problem when self-employed is that income is often averaged out through the year so you are told that though you've had no income for say 12 weeks, when say the previous 6 months income of your current accounting year is taken into account you come out over the earnings limits. Also if you have savings for your old age instead of an occupational pension as many self employed people do again you are hit.

However we are indeed fortunate to have the NHS, my treatment I estimate cost £25,000 so far, in the USA without adequate health insurance you would be bankrupt, indeed the biggest cause of bankruptcy in the USA is due to a family member becoming seriously ill and requiring hospital treatment.

Thanks for all your replays guys, hope it helps me but benefits other people aswell. Like I said I think it ought to be promoted more ( if that's the right word) through what ever sources . Uv still got a job to go back to which I am going back to this week thanks to parcel force even though they had no obligation to stick by me. 3 month is still not enough time off with your stomach removed but just 3 more weeks of keemo tablets then let's see if my body can start repairing it's self.... Onwards and forwards to all of us

Hi Kim,

I was working on the assumption that as Alf was on chemo he would automatically qualify for PIP under the special arrangements for people with a cancer diagnosis. If you know anyone who is struggling to get their condition recognised, please point them towards their local MacMillan service as their advisors have access to a fast track process. The CRUK advice is a bit general in nature, doesn't mention the fast track arrangements and is slightly out of date. CAB have some useful info too:- 

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/.../ 

Best wishes
Dave

I am glad you still got your job mate. It does make me angry when I see hard working guys like you having to struggle and continuing to work when you are very ill and at the same time able bodied people apparently collecting benefits with ease. You also have a very demanding job that takes lots of physical energy. All of us here know just how ill you get with cancer, surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. When we say we are feeling tired and ill we really are. I too returned to work long before I really should have. Painkillers and anti sickness tablets helped but I am sure proper rest and convalescence would have sped up recovery.

Thanks to davek for the useful advice and links. I may need the info in the future.