MSE News: Half a million could lose disability benefits

anguk

bigadaj wrote: »

This is totally down to the nature of the disease and possibly the individual. I had testicular cancer five years ago, and apart from a week off for surgery went into work during the chemo treatment, though had to be very careful about any colleagues with colds as your immune system is obviously destroyed at that time. For me, work allowed me to occupy my time, and whilst I didn't feel great then time at home was even worse.

it is case specific,I'm currently working overseas and just missed the funeral of one of my wife's best friends unfortunately, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer at a similar time to me and did well to last this long, she was at work until a week before she died.

Comparing my cancer to hers is like comparing toothache to a heart attack, so generalisations aren't helpful.

That is very true. My brother had testicular cancer and after the surgery he had intensive chemotherapy, one week he had a full days chemo the next week he had 3 full days of chemo. He could barely get out of bed let alone go back to work. He ended up being off work for 6 months but luckily he didn't have to claim any benefits because his employers paid him in full and his wife worked.

Even people with exactly the same condition have different symptoms, treatment and outcome, while my brother was having his treatment one of the other lads in the ward died.

Boots888

krisskross wrote: »

He has only made it to the 1 year milestone so far. A long way to go yet.

I didn't understand your point about being 'insensitive'. Are we all such fragile flowers that a simple point like the one I made will send someone into a decline?

Some people are, yes, so fragile, as certain comments from others would send them into a decline. When hope and compassion from others is vital to them, to get the opposite is like a slap in the face.

ineed

anguk wrote: »

That is very true. My brother had testicular cancer and after the surgery he had intensive chemotherapy, one week he had a full days chemo the next week he had 3 full days of chemo. He could barely get out of bed let alone go back to work. He ended up being off work for 6 months but luckily he didn't have to claim any benefits because his employers paid him in full and his wife worked.

Even people with exactly the same condition have different symptoms, treatment and outcome, while my brother was having his treatment one of the other lads in the ward died.

so sad, poor guy. I'm gad your brother is ok now, and it's great his bosses paid him while he was unable to work I wish all companies were as understanding.

zzzLazyDaisy

krisskross wrote: »

My husband had surgery to remove cancer last year and made it to the year milestone with no recurrence this month. His care and treatment have not impinged on his life sufficiently, on their own, to warrant extra money. Simply another medical issue to add to his list.

I'm interested.... what extra money do you think he might have been able to claim, had his condition impacted more severely on his life? Given that you have said in an earlier post that he would die without having you around to take care of him, and that he is already claiming high rate attendance allowance anyway.

krisskross

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

I'm interested.... what extra money do you think he might have been able to claim, had his condition impacted more severely on his life? Given that you have said in an earlier post that he would die without having you around to take care of him, and that he is already claiming high rate attendance allowance anyway.

What I said and I thought it was fairly clear, although obviously not, was that the fact of him having cancer was not sufficient on it's own to either impinge very much on his life or to warrant any extra money. This comment was in response to another poster suggesting that a diagnosis of cancer should be sufficient to trigger benefits.

Yes he already receives AA, for the effects that other medical problems have. He obviously would not receive an increase in this payment no matter what effect his cancer treatment has but that was not the point at all.

ineed

krisskross wrote: »

What I said and I thought it was fairly clear, although obviously not, was that the fact of him having cancer was not sufficient on it's own to either impinge very much on his life or to warrant any extra money. This comment was in response to another poster suggesting that a diagnosis of cancer should be sufficient to trigger benefits.

Which wasn't my suggestion at all, I simply posted about claiming DLA under the special rules for terminal cancer.

And then that it's great that some people don't need to claim anything but it should be an option for all cancer patients to claim benefits while under going treatment and recovery without a face to face assessment as the last thing they should be worried about is money.

Dunroamin

Boots888 wrote: »

Oh well done, keep getting checked.

I only oppose your statement that people get through it without the need for help from the state.

Being diagnosed with cancer is bad enough without the worry of needing to claim for benefits and the judgements people are making against those that do.

Many don't survive it at all and what I resent is my mother never got the treatment in the 1st place to enable her to survive, let alone get few quid extra help from the state/tax payers through any recovery she may have needed.

She was just another statistic in the appalling late diagnosis of cancer patients in the Uk that came far too late. Dying in terrible pain, what she always dreaded.

I can't tolerate that nastiness of the cuts to welfare, let alone the inadequate diagnosis and treatment that too many people in the Uk have to suffer, myself included.

I am sorry to hear about your mother and appreciate from personal experience that cancer services aren't always all they should be.

However, cancer services are very much better than those that are available to sufferers from other life threatening conditions, with McMillan and Marie Curie Nurses, hospices and enormous amounts of extra help available.

A cancer diagnosis is not a terminal diagnosis and the needs of cancer patients shouldn't be based`on people's fear of the word.

Boots888

ineed wrote: »

But I don't understand why there are all these personal comments being made, why not just make your point and leave it at that, why even mention someone's husband/wife/child etc.

KrissCross mentioned her husbands health, I didn't ( and nor did he) to get across her point of "just cause you have cancer, doesn't mean you should claim disability benefits" - only later it becomes clear to me they are receiving those very benefits as in AA??

Boots888

Dunroamin wrote: »

I am sorry to hear about your mother and appreciate from personal experience that cancer services aren't always all they should be.

However, cancer services are very much better than those that are available to sufferers from other life threatening conditions, with McMillan and Marie Curie Nurses, hospices and enormous amounts of extra help available.

A cancer diagnosis is not a terminal diagnosis and the needs of cancer patients shouldn't be based`on people's fear of the word.

The diagosis of cancer in the UK is amongst the worst in Europe - FACT

Dunroamin

ineed wrote: »

And then that it's great that some people don't need to claim anything but it should be an option for all cancer patients to claim benefits while under going treatment and recovery without a face to face assessment as the last thing they should be worried about is money.

But, again, why just cancer patients and why all of them?