Brain Tumour Trouble

lucayaborn

Hi, as a first time poster but long time browser of the site I hope someone can offer some advise.
My brother was diagnosed with a brain tumour Christmas eve and operated on to remove ( partially) on new years eve. He had just returned to work after 3 months off due to a brain haemorrage - which we of course now know the cause of.
His employer has stopped paying him due to the 3mths off last year. He starts radiation treatment next week and has been told he will not work for the forseeable future, if ever.
The local DHSS have told him he is not entitled to any help or benefits as he has a company share savings scheme, which he cannot access under Inland Revenue rules unless he is sacked/made redundant/resigns, and this means he and his wife have no income except statutary sick pay.
Has any one any experience of claiming benefits in a similar situation, as you can imagine he is trying to come to terms with the problem but having just had major brain surgery is finding it hard to cope. Any help/advise appreciated.

Spendless

Hi

I can't answer you about benefits -

I have a (benign) brain tumour myself and have had treatment for it. I got a lot of support from a charity connected with my condition called BANA (British Acoustic Neuroma Association). I suggest your brother gets in touch with someone like this. His consultant/hospital should know of any organisations that could help with support/advice.

lucayaborn

Thanks Spendless I will certainly pass on the name to him and try and get him to contact them. He is determined to come through this and be back at work by the end of the year so we are giving him all the suooort we can.

Spendless

Even if BANA can't help they may be able to pass on the name of an organisation who can.

Best wishes

Ted_Hutchinson

lucayaborn wrote:

........His employer has stopped paying him due to the 3mths off last year. He starts radiation treatment next week and has been told he will not work for the forseeable future, if ever.
The local DHSS have told him he is not entitled to any help or benefits as he has a company share savings scheme, which he cannot access under Inland Revenue rules unless he is sacked/made redundant/resigns, and this means he and his wife have no income except statutary sick pay....................

As Disability Living Allowance is not means tested I can see no reason why, if he meets the Care and/or Mobility criteria this wouldn't be applicable. You can probably work out if he would meet the criteria by doing the Two Minute test at BenefitsandWork where you will also find a Guide to Getting Help with your benefits and a Guide to claiming DLA on Physical Health grounds.
If a DLA Middle or High rate care award was won then his partner would be able to claim Carer's Allowance for looking after him.

There is more information about Inland Revenue. Share Saving Schemes and Welfare Benefits I haven't had time to read it yet but as the rest of the information he has received has been misleading I suspect it may be worth checking.

lucayaborn

Thanks for the links Ted, I will follow them up for him, much appreciated.

Fran

Hi,

For your information, in case you need to know this at some time, the DWP website states:

"There are special rules for people with a life expectancy of less than 6 months to help them get DLA quickly and easily."

Ie, the claim would be dealt with quicker, so if this does ever become the case whoever helps with the claim should ask about the special rules for DLA.

Please also note that the shares info on the Inland Revenue site is out of date, you would have to find out the current situation.