Metastatic cancer and PIP

Beenie

I have stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. It is not curable, only manageable with cycles of chemo tablets.

It has made me extremely fatigued, unable to do much physical stuff such as shopping or housework (I must not lift or push trolleys or furniture as the cancer is in the bones making them fragile), and walking is slow and tiring.

Does anyone know if I would qualify for PIP? I am under state pension age (aged 63) and have a small civil service retirement pension.

calcotti

You need to look at the activities the DWP look at to score you for PIP. https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system. If you think you can score the points then you should apply. Unfortunately it's a long process.

In the meantime if you have been in work and paid NI in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 you could apply for new style ESA which is not means tested. Because you are having chemotherapy you are automatically entitled to be placed in the Support Group and receive additional money from the 14th week (13 weeks at £73.10, £110.75 thereafter).

If you are in a low income household you can apply for Universal Credit which is means tested - again because of cancer treatment you are automatically entitled to treated as not Capable of Work or Work Related Activity.

teachergirl

Beenie sorry to hear your news. My step mother also has the same disease.(she is over 65 though) I don't really have any experience of benefits but do you have a specialist team at the hospital? The only reason I am asking is because when she was diagnosed they also told her all the benefits she would be entitled to.

Alice_Holt

Sorry to hear this.

I suggest you get a referral from your nurse to a Macmillan Benefits advisor.
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/organising/benefits-and-financial-support/benefits-and-your-rights/introduction-benefits-system.html

More info on PIP:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/before-claiming/check-you-are-eligible/

I think it very possible you would qualify for PIP. If you can't do an activity reliably then you should be assessed as not able to do it (and score points).
If, due to fatigue, it takes you more than twice as long to complete an activity, then that is classed as not being able to do an activity reliably.

Beenie

I have been in touch with a local MacMillan welfare lady (she is not clinically trained and just works in welfare). She has encouraged me to contact DWP ans get the ball rolling. She will help me with completing the form when it arrives andhad warned me that it takes ages.

I am very slow at doing ordinary things due to bone pain and breathlessness (the cancer has spread to my lungs) and find that something as simple as taking a shower and getting dried/dressed leaves me panting. I have to sit down to get my breath back. Similarly walking any distance leaves me in the same breathless condition. I can't drive as I cannot bend my neck and spine to see properly, so I don't consider myself safe. That means I have to be driven everywhere. I don't like using the bus due to exposure to coughs/sneezes/infections which are a disaster to someone with an impaired immune system, so again it means running a car and paying for parking etc. I can't do housework so would like to pay a cleaner to come in ever couple of weeks.

All these things add to the extra cost of having an illness and being on palliative care. It would be nice to think that there is some sort of state benefit applicable, but from what I have read it isn't easy. I will have to read up on this points system mentioned above - I take it that a doctor or oncologist's letter isn't sufficient?

Cheeky_Monkey

Removed original post as information not correct and was misleading.

I apologise unreservedly to the OP if I have inadvertently caused them any distress.

Mojisola

Cheeky_Monkey wrote: »

You need to make it clear that you are applying under Special Rules which means that you should receive payment a couple of weeks after DWP receive the completed form.

This is usually only available if your death ‘can reasonably be expected’ within the next six months.

calcotti

Cheeky_Monkey wrote: »

You need to make it clear that you are applying under Special Rules which means that you should receive payment a couple of weeks after DWP receive the completed form.

This is very misleading. From the OPs post she is not applying under Special Rules. That would be a different process involving a single short phone call. Having an incurable cancer does not mean that Special Rules apply, they only apply if the claimant has a strong possibility of not surviving for more than six months in which case a member of their medical team will issue a DS1500 confirming this.

calcotti

OP, if you have not done so already you may want to apply for a Blue Badge.

Beenie

Thankfully I am not in the territory of not surviving a further six months.

Although incurable, with palliative treatment it is entirely possible to survive for some years (no doctor will offer a time line as it depends on your reaction to the drugs which is individual and unpredictable).

calcotti

Good luck with the PIP application and, more importantly, the treatment.