Terminal cancer.

[George_16091]

Hello, I've just joined and would like to know if my wife can claim P.I.P. and Attendance allowance at the same time, you see I have not long been made redundant, I went onto E.S.A. to try and get the income based benefit, this is because we have a mortgage bill of £76,000 over our heads, my wife has terminal cancer, and the D.W.P. told me I was not entitled to income based E.S.A., but I know if I had been on the dole all my life I would have been getting most stuff paid for, we have been trying to pay the mortgage from our savings, and now are having to sell the home we have put so much love and capital into, part of what we are losing are the solar feed in tariff, our hot water heating panels, and an expensive boiler stove, we feel as if we are being punished on top of my wife's illness, we do not know where to turn to, as when we sell the house we don't know if we can afford another on what is left.
My wife has had her health report which states she has between 6 - 9 months life expectancy, please hepl us someone.

[Miss Bee]

Hi George,
If you phone Macmillan helpline they can fill in claim forms on your wife's behalf. There is a certificate your wife's gp can issue, (sorry, I can't remember the name of it) which basically is proof that your wife isn't expected to live longer than six months. I know.. grim, isn't it? But the certificate can be used to support claiming under the "special rules" and means your claim will be sensitively and quickly dealt with. They are able to offer financial advice, or refer you to professionals who specialise in the area and are "cancer friendly'.
Hope that helps a little,
Kindest regards.
M.

[susieq]

Hello George and welcome to the forum.

I would suggest that you contact the Carers UK Adviceline Team - they really the experts on benefits and all caring related matters

New to caring? Our Upfront guide will take you straight to the information you need to know: www.carersuk.org/upfront/

As well as practical and financial support, you’ll find information to help you manage the impact of caring on your health and relationships.

Need expert advice? You can talk to the Carers UK Adviceline five days a week, no matter where you are in the UK or how complex your query is. We do benefits checks and advise on financial and practical matters related to caring.

0808 808 7777
advice@carersuk.org
Open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm

The Carers UK Adviceline also includes a listening service, there for you to talk through your caring situation with a trained volunteer who understands what you are going through. Available Mondays and Tuesdays, from 9am to 7pm.

The Adviceline telephones are usually over subscribed so it's usually better to email them in the first instance - they will generally get back to you within 3 - 5 working days.

[MrsAverage]

George
This may be grim reading but have you checked to see if you have any insurance policies that will pay out in the event of your wife's illness or death? If there are, that can alleviate some of your money worries and allow you to concentrate on caring.

[Greta]

Have you had a carer's assessment for yourself and a needs assessment for your wife from social services? I think if your wife's illness is terminal they should help you apply for Continuing Health Care, which means that not only medical treatment but also carers are funded by the NHS. Although it's a postcode lottery, I believe that it can be speeded up for terminal cases. Others here know more about that.

[Elaine]

Hi George
Cannot help re finance - sorry, but just wanted to extend my sympathy to you and your wife and I do hope you will find a way to keep your home. You both have enough to cope with, never mind that kind of worry. Have you tried Citizen's advice, and do contact the helpline on here. What about the mortgage company? Any chance of them deferring payments for a while? I would contact everyone who expects regular payments from you and explain the situation. You never know what they will come up with in the circumstances but do be prepared to supply proof if asked for. Also good advice to check any insurances or health plans you may be paying into.
All the best
Elaine

[Pet66]

Hello George
I can't help re finances either. I do know it's advisable to contact everyone you need to and explain. Usually they will have a payment plan to help you through this dreadful time.
I so sad to hear you are going through such a difficult and emotional time
Pet66

[George_16091]

Thank you all for the kind words and advice, the thing is we had some money in our account over the £16.000 most of which we donated to charities, we just put it in the boxes without informing anyone, but the D.W.P. don't seem to believe us, they wanted receipts, dates, organisations, etc, etc,etc, we explained we did not ask for or get any receipts, to which they decided not to pay the income based E.S.A. I tried writing and asking them to reconsider the claim, I did not get any joy, they simply just paid the normal rate, end of story.

[jenny lucas]

If you have a list of the charities you donated to, then get in touch with them directly individually. Charities (surely!) have to do strict accounting, so there should be a record of what you donated, and when, and they should be able to issue you with a receipt.

It's a pain, but there it is. I don't suppose you donated with cheques, did you, as that would show up on your own bank statements.

Please don't tell me you just put cash into a collecting tin!!!!! (It's NEVER a good way to donate - always donate via your bank account, and keep a record - charity donations are tax deductible. Mine increase my personal allowance that is worth money to me - and the charity benefits too!)

(Sorry, I've just read that putting the money into charity boxes is what you did do....oh dear.)(Personally, I think charity boxes should only take coppers or silver, for the reasons above.)