Does cancer = automatic entitlement to pip?

Gigervamp

I have cancer which can't be removed, but has shrunk after chemo and radiotherapy. I will be having more chemo at some point in the future, but at the moment, the cancer is stable, so I'm not having any treatment for now.

My husband has been seeing a counsellor and mentioned to her that I haven't claimed dla/pip as I'm not sure that I would get it. She told him that as I have cancer, I'd be automatically entitled to it.

Can anybody shed some light on this as I've never seen it mentioned and wondered if she was getting it mixed up with the special rules for terminal illness.

I'm not claiming any other benefits as I was a housewife before I was diagnosed.

It would be handy if I could claim it as my daughter has come to care for me, giving up her job, and she can't claim on her insurance or claim carers allowance unless I'm receiving dla/pip.

TIA

System

I think its possible but only under the special rules in the case of terminal illness (which i think is a prognosis of 6 months or less)

"If you’re terminally ill, you will automatically receive the daily living component enhanced rate. You’ll also be able to apply for the mobility component and receive it immediately if you qualify." http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Livingwithandaftercancer/Financialissues/Benefitsandfinancialhelp/Helpifyouhavecareneeds/PersonalIndependencePayment.aspx

If that didn't apply then it would come down to care/mobility needs. Hopefully someone else with more knowledge will be along soon. But does sound like they may be mixed up with the special rules.

I think with ESA it can be automatic if you're recieving certain types or tretment and/or terminally ill, but thats seperate to PIP

(If i have any of that wrong happy to be corrected)

rogerblack

She is wrong.
Cancer is not an automatic entitlement.
However.
If your doctor is willing to sign a form saying that death is reasonably expected within 6 months (this does not mean that it is certain, or even more likely than not) - this is a passport to automatic DLA (or PIP, as it now is for most)

wildwestfan

I read that 1 in 2 of us will get cancer at some time in our lives. Can you imagine the cost of half the country on DLA? Obviously not all at once but even so.

Mrs_Ryan

When I asked about applying for DLA as it was then when I had cancer last year, I got a snippy reply from MacMillan saying 'what gives you the idea that you would be entitled to that' :eek: I did have care needs that met the criteria but I didn't bother in the end.. AFAIK its not an automatic entitlement.

Brassedoff

rogerblack wrote: »

She is wrong.
Cancer is not an automatic entitlement.
However.
If your doctor is willing to sign a form saying that death is reasonably expected within 6 months (this does not mean that it is certain, or even more likely than not) - this is a passport to automatic DLA (or PIP, as it now is for most)

Roger's correct. I am undergoing treatment for it and I can confirm it does not entitle any special benefit if there is no care or mobility need. Care, maybe there's an entitlement, Mobility, def not IMHO. And before I get jumped on, those doing the jumping need to know how the treatments affect you.

rogerblack

Brassedoff wrote: »

And before I get jumped on, those doing the jumping need to know how the treatments affect you.

Even with that - with PIP, there needs to be a total of a years effects - 3 months before you apply, and the needs likely to occur for 9 months into the future.
This seems unlikely for most cancer treatments.

ESA is granted to anyone who is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer - this isn't the case with PIP automatically.

Gigervamp

Thanks for the replies. It does look like she's got things mixed up with the special rules.

tokenfield

49

wildwestfan wrote: »

I read that 1 in 2 of us will get cancer at some time in our lives. Can you imagine the cost of half the country on DLA? Obviously not all at once but even so.

But then you are forgetting a whole myriad of conditions that people say precludes them from being able to walk 20 metres as well as having care needs, day and night!

As I have said before and say it again, based on the thoughts of people we must be the sickest with the most disabled people in the civilised world!

Grief, my sister developed breast cancer in early 2002, which by late 2002 had spread to most of her other organs - and finally died in May 2003 aged 49.

She refused to claim any benefits on the basis that being told that she had only a few months to live would stress her out.

tokenfield

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

When I asked about applying for DLA as it was then when I had cancer last year, I got a snippy reply from MacMillan saying 'what gives you the idea that you would be entitled to that' :eek: I did have care needs that met the criteria but I didn't bother in the end.. AFAIK its not an automatic entitlement.

Quite,quite.

Where does the DWP draw the line? What illness/disabilities should qualify?

You know and I know that if the DWP give a foot, people will try and make it into a yard!

schrodie

tokenfield wrote: »

You know and I know that if the DWP give a foot, people will try and make it into a yard!

We're now metric Andy do try to keep up with the times.