Toni,

Happy New Year.

I'm afraid the only advice I can give is the boring old "take things one day at a time", oh and our local MacMillan benefits advisor was fantastically helpful.

I hope everything works out in the end.

All the best
Dave

Thank you, I've been trying to get hold of the adviser.

Congrats on your latest scan Davek

Hi Tonim

Happy New Year and like Dave has said one day at a time is the only way I coped with everything that was thrown at me when it came to sorting out our financial affairs.  MacMillan advises on benefits available and Citzens Advice Bureau also offer free help (by appointment).  I contacted my huby's palliative care team who put us in touch with relevant Department of Work and Pensions phone number and they were helpful too.  My husband was put on benefits within six weeks of terminal diagnosis (due to it being linked to Asbestos) and we were also helped by his consultant's social support workers.  Even your GP should have contact details for help in  your area. 

I really wish it did not have to be a huge challenge when you have so much to deal with under one roof and send you a big virtual hug and know that Jaxon will bring you huge pleasure every time you see him. Jules xx

Hi Tonim - I am so glad you have posted as I have been wondering how you and your husband are.  It sounds like a very difficult couple of months, on top of a very sh**e 2015.  I too really hope that its good news from your husband's scan and that your treatment has worked well for you and is soon over.  Like many of us here, I understand that you just need to be with your husband and live as normally as possible.  An awful situation that I hope improves significantly for you both within the next few weeks.

As Dave and Jules have suggested - my hubbie and I also made an appointment through the McMillan Service with their benefits advisor who was absolutely brilliant!  She did tell us that she works for the CAB and does voluntary work for McMillan - so I would guess from that info that either organisation will give you the same help/support.  She has helped us to claim three benefits and I know that others are available dependent on your circumstances.  Her help was invaluable!

Good luck with everything and please keep in touch now and again to let us know how you are getting along.  Much love x

Hello Toni,

So nice to hear from you again and I wish you a happy new year.

You are so much liked on the forum that I wasn't surprised to see you got so many replies from your forum friends already. And they have given you some good advice from their own personal experience - the best kind of advice, I think. 

All I need to add now is a link to our information on government benefits which you can find here.

I hope this helps - best of luck getting all these things sorted, 

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

We have finally met the MacMillan nurses (only taken nearly 2 years for me). They are doing a brilliant job helping with all the clinical information. As I've previously said, hopefully I will hear soon from the welfare advisors. 

Did anybody have to sort out their mortgage, I'm dreading it. Don't want to have to sell. I haven't said anything to the mortgage company yet.

I hope to have the hubby home soon, and we will take it from there.

I'm sure the advisor at CAB or McMillan will be able to give you some advice re your mortgage. You may find there are tax credits that you can claim if your outgoings far outweigh income.  Just keep calm about things honey and see what they suggest.  Much love x

All the very best and hope the advisors can help put your mind at rest but first and foremost do hope you have hubby back home with you as soon as possible.  I personally did not have to sort a mortgage but a close friend who had breast cancer (husband only part time due to other health issues) certainly did take advice from CAB/MacMillan and found several benefits they could claim and their mortgage company were able to help by spreading payments over a longer period once they were advised of the situation (this was around five years ago).  They kept their home intact  though I am aware that the husband went on to use part of his pension package (early) to boost their income. Hope the links here will prove helpful.Jules x

Just trying to remember this - I think it was Personal Independance Payments https://www.gov.uk/pip

I hadn't been claiming it for my wife because I had thought that all benefits were means tested - I don't think this one is. I actually got my backside into gear to claim it a few weeks before my wife died but it was too late by then. 

There is an expedited process for people who are terminally ill and you get your consultant to vouch for this in a form called a DS1500 See here www.citizensadvice.org.uk/.../

Give them a call on the claim line I found them very helpful.

I'm sure there are other means tested benefits that you may be eligable for but this one you will be whatever your circumstances.

Hope this helps

Graham