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Benefits and disability rights for people affected by lymphoma This information leaflet is a very brief guide. It does not cover all the rules and regulations concerning benefits. The nature and range of benefits is changing, especially in view of the enactment of the Welfare Reform Act in 2012. For example, with effect from October 2013 a benefit called ‘Universal Credit’ will replace new claims for Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment Support Allowance, Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. For people who are already claiming these benefits, the planned migration to Universal Credit will be undertaken by 2017. Therefore this leaflet should not be treated as a definitive guide to current laws relating to welfare benefits, but should be treated as a signposting aid only. There are numerous organisations that can offer help and advice on which benefits you could claim. At the end of this article you will find a list of contact details which you could find helpful. In this article we will be discussing many benefits but our aim is to summarise the main features of: ●

what types of benefit there are

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key benefits for people of working age who are unable to work

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benefits for care, supervision and/or mobility needs

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carers’ benefits

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means-tested benefits for people of working age

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benefits for people of pension age

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help with housing costs

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help with health costs.

Please also note that the amounts of money payable for the different benefits that are quoted in the article were correct as of April 2012. They have been included to give you an idea of what you might expect to receive.

Introduction When you are diagnosed with lymphoma and while you are receiving treatment your living expenses invariably increase. Things like travel to medical appointments and parking costs, changes in your weight and the necessity to buy new clothes, and increased utility bills while you are spending more time at home are just a few examples of how this can happen. Benefits and disability rights

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This also comes at a time when you might not be able to work, putting your income at risk. There are currently many different types of benefits available in the UK. You might be able to claim one or more benefits, depending on your individual circumstances. The system of ‘welfare benefits’ that was first introduced in 1948 was, and still is, underpinned by the three main aims of: ●

replacing earnings

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compensating for extra costs

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helping to alleviate poverty.

Benefits today can still broadly be considered to fall into one of these three categories. Some benefits are not paid in cash, but in ‘kind’ and examples of this type of benefit are free school meals and free prescriptions. However, for our purposes, we will mainly be looking at benefits that are paid in cash. All benefits are based on a system of ‘qualification for entitlement’. Benefits can be broken down into three distinct types on the basis of how you qualify for them: ●

universal benefits

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contributory benefits

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means-tested benefits.

Universal benefits Universal benefits are not based on household income. They are not means-tested. They also do not depend on your record of National Insurance contributions (NICs). Entitlement to them is based purely on a ‘condition’ such as age or care needs. The aim of this group of benefits is to compensate for the extra costs that these personal circumstances involve. Examples of universal benefits are: Child Benefit, Guardian’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Attendance Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits, category D State Pension, War Disablement Pensions, Statutory Adoption/Maternity/Paternity Pay and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). Carer’s Allowance can also be considered as a universal benefit but note that it is affected by an upper earnings limit. It can also be affected by any pension entitlement you have and by other benefits you are receiving (see pages 6–7).

Contributory benefits Contributory benefits are founded purely on the NIC record made by the claimant. These are paid regardless of other financial resources you or your household have. Examples of contributory benefits are: Bereavement Allowance, Bereavement Payment, categories A and B State Pensions and Widowed Parent’s Allowance. Please note that although contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Maternity Allowance appear to be predominately contribution-based, they can sometimes be affected by other income, including occupational or private pensions. Benefits and disability rights

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Means-tested benefits The third group of benefits comprises means-tested and income-related benefits. These do not depend on NICs. The amount of money you receive if you claim for one of these benefits will depend on your overall household income and on any savings you might have. Examples of income-related benefits are: Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit, Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), Income Support, Pension Credits and Social Fund benefits. Both income-based JSA and ESA are also-means tested.

Key benefits for people of working age who are unable to work Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) This benefit is paid by employers to employees. It is governed by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and is paid to people who earn at least the minimum lower earnings limit, which was £107.00 a week in April 2012. It is paid directly to employees for any period of sickness lasting from 4 days up to 28 weeks and is taxable. As of April 2012 the basic rate is £85.85 and no additions are payable for any dependents when you are on this benefit alone. Note that some companies pay their own occupational sick pay (OSP) scheme, which is a separate issue from the basic SSP as described above. Employers do not have to apply the SSP scheme providing their own OSP is paid at the same rate or exceeds it – this ensures that an OSP scheme must never pay less than the statutory minimum payable under the SSP scheme.

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) This new benefit was introduced from 27 October 2008. It replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid on the grounds of incapacity for work. It therefore contains both elements of these old benefits in that ESA has both a contributory part and a means-tested part. People can get either part or both parts of the benefit, depending on their contribution record and on their income and capital. With regard to ‘capital’, any amount of savings you might have between £6,000 and £16,000 will affect the amount of income-based ESA paid, and you cannot claim for this benefit if you have savings of more than £16,000. If you own a property that is not your main residence this might also be classed as an asset for benefit assessment purposes. Entitlement to ESA is based on a ‘limited capability for work’ and this is ascertained by a Work Capability Assessment. Initially there is a basic rate for the first 13 weeks of the claim, which is known as the ‘assessment phase’. This is paid at a rate comparable to JSA, which is currently £71.00 per week for single people aged 25 and over. After the 13-week period you will have been assessed and placed into one of two groups, the Support Group or the Work-Related Activity Group. Depending on which group you are put into, you will then receive an additional payment from week 14 (see page 4). There are exceptions to this process for those living with cancer – certain groups of people automatically qualify for ESA in that they are found to have limited capability for work without having to satisfy the Work Capability Assessment.

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People who are effectively exempted from the Work Capability Assessment at the time of writing this article are people who are actively receiving treatment or recovering from treatment or people who are terminally ill. ‘Treatment’ in this context means radiotherapy, plasmapheresis or any chemotherapy that is not taken by mouth (so having intravenous chemotherapy would mean you wouldn’t need to undergo a Work Capability Assessment). People who are inpatients in hospital, either receiving or recovering from any form of treatment as outlined above are automatically exempted from the Work Capability Assessment. Anyone ‘likely to start chemotherapy within 6 months’ will also be effectively ‘exempt’ from the Work Capability Assessment. This is obviously a complicated area and whether or not you might be expected to undergo a Work Capability Assessment will depend on your individual situation, what kind of treatment you are having and exactly when you had or expect to have your treatment. This is therefore something that you would need to seek advice about from a professional benefits adviser. People who fulfil these ‘exemption’ criteria should be fast-tracked and automatically placed into the Support Group category. They do not need to attend a Work Capability Assessment and they do not need to attend work-focused interviews with a Jobcentre Plus adviser. The amount of ESA you receive varies depending on the group that you are placed in. The additional Support Group payment is £34.05 (as at April 2012) and you do not have to undertake work-related activities. If you do not meet the exception criteria as outlined above you will be placed in the Work-Related Activity Group and will have to attend work-focused interviews. A smaller additional payment of £28.15 will be paid to anyone in this group. These payments are made in addition to the basic rate paid during the 13-week assessment phase. If you are self-employed you might also be entitled to claim ESA – if you have paid the correct level of NICs you might qualify for contribution-based ESA. If this is not the case, then you might still qualify for ESA via the means-tested route. In November 2010 both contribution-based ESA entitlement and JSA entitlement changed so that new claimants will need to have paid NICs on relevant earnings at the lower National Insurance earnings limit (£107.00 in 2012/13) for at least 26 weeks in one of the last two complete tax years. (Before November 2010 the condition rule was based on the amount of contributions, not the time over which they were made.) Changes in this type of benefit were introduced in April 2012 with the Welfare Reform Act. These affect people in the Work-Related Activity Group, who now have their claims limited to 1 year. After a year you have your family income and savings assessed to see if you qualify for the means-tested version of the benefit.

Incapacity Benefit This benefit is now only payable to those who claimed it before 27 October 2008 because ESA has replaced it. Incapacity Benefit was paid to people who had paid the relevant NICs in relevant tax years and it is paid at three different rates. Note that the following three benefits are being phased out: ●

Incapacity Benefit

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Income Support claimed because of illness or disability

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Severe Disablement Allowance.

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A reassessment process has commenced for people receiving these benefits. Note that these changes do not affect you if you reach pension age before 6 April 2014.

Benefits for care, supervision and/or mobility needs Disability Living Allowance (DLA) This benefit is for people who fall within the working-age group but it can be claimed for children. It must be claimed for by the age of 65 years but, once you are receiving DLA, payment can extend beyond this age limit. It is a universal benefit based on a ‘condition of needs’, and its main purpose is to provide help with extra costs associated with disability. It is therefore not means-tested, contribution-based, taxable or taken into account as income when you are being assessed for other means-tested benefits. The fact that you receive DLA can even enhance your entitlement to other benefits. It can be claimed whether you are working or not. DLA is divided into two main parts – the care component and the mobility component. These elements can be claimed either on their own or both together, depending on your individual care and mobility needs. Generally speaking, in order to qualify for DLA you must meet a series of test criteria, including what are known as the ‘backwards and forwards tests’. This means that you must meet the ‘needs’ qualifying criteria for a minimum of 3 months before you submit a claim and demonstrate that you meet the same test criteria for a further 6 months after making your claim. If you were undergoing a lengthy chemotherapy regime, for example, then the treatment period could easily exceed this 9-month overall qualification period. There are exceptions to the need to fulfil this 9-month time-period criterion. One exception is the situation where your doctor has informed you that you are terminally ill. At this point, if you want to claim benefits you should ask your medical team for a form called a DS1500. This will enable you to claim under the ‘special rules’ procedure and if you are successful you will automatically qualify for the highest rate of the care component. A need for the mobility component will still have to be shown, however. Overall, the basis of needs and the rates payable for the two components of DLA are comparable. For the care component there are three levels of award – lowest, middle and highest. The awarded level of care or needs will depend on whether the care is required during the day, at night, or both. Assessment of the appropriate care rate is based on how much time is required on each occasion and how often this is needed throughout the day and/or night. The types of circumstances that could warrant an award of the care component are things such as needing help with getting in and out of the bath or shower, cutting toenails, stretching to wash and dry yourself and toilet needs. For those who are aged 16 and over it can also include being unable to prepare and serve a cooked meal for yourself. These needs can arise for many reasons but could result from some of the side effects of chemotherapy – for example, severe fatigue, peripheral neuropathy, breathlessness and nausea can all affect your ability to care for yourself, even in the short term.

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The mobility component is paid at two rates (lower or higher) depending on a person’s walking ability and/or whether they require guidance and supervision to walk out of doors. The higher mobility component can be based on ‘virtually being unable to walk’, for example due to extreme discomfort resulting from leg and foot problems, bone pain or severe breathlessness. The lower rate mobility component might be awarded, for example, to someone who requires guidance and supervision outside. This could be the case for people who are prone to falling and who require supervision. From April 2013 the government is proposing to replace DLA with a benefit called the ‘Personal Independence Payment’ or PIP, which will be similar to DLA in being a non-means-tested ‘extra costs’ type of benefit for people aged 16–64. Like DLA, it will have a mobility component; the care component will be replaced by a similar ‘daily living’ component. A new assessment procedure will be introduced for claimants of this benefit.

Attendance Allowance This benefit is aimed specifically at people aged over 65 and is a benefit that is similar in some ways to DLA. It is also a universal benefit that is based on a condition of needs, and its main purpose is to provide help with extra costs associated with disability. It is not means-tested, contribution-based or taxable, and is not taken into account as income when you are being assessed for other means-tested benefits. It is different from DLA in that it does not contain a mobility component. It does have a care component, however, which is paid at either a lower or a higher rate. The qualification period is also different from that of DLA – your care/supervision needs must have been present for a minimum of 6 months before making a claim but you do not need to demonstrate continued need for a further period after you make the claim. If you need to claim under the ‘special rules’ (as with a DLA claim), then this minimum time period of 6 months is unnecessary. Note that an award of the middle rate or highest rate of the care component of DLA or either award of Attendance Allowance can entitle your main carer to claim Carer’s Allowance. However, please see the various qualifications and further explanation of this allowance below.

Carers’ benefits Carer’s Allowance This benefit is for people who regularly care for another person for at least 35 hours per week. You do not have to live with the person you are caring for and you do not even need to be related to them. To be entitled to this benefit, the person being cared for has to be receiving the middle rate or the highest rate of the care component of DLA or receiving either award of Attendance Allowance. Although Carer’s Allowance is neither contribution-based nor means-tested, it is taxable and is subject to an upper earnings limit per week (currently £100.00 after expenses, which may include National Insurance contributions, Income Tax, half of any contributions towards a pension scheme and some necessary work-related expenses). This means that you will not be awarded this allowance if you earn more than this limit. Note, however, that any income from occupational or private pensions does not count as earnings for assessing entitlement to this benefit. Benefits and disability rights

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Simply providing care for someone does not mean an automatic entitlement to this benefit. You must be aged at least 16 and not in full-time education to qualify for this benefit and you have to meet certain UK residence tests. There are also other qualification criteria that the claimant has to meet, including a number of rules that apply if you are claiming other benefits (such as State Pension) – these are known as the ‘overlapping benefits rules’. These rules mean that you cannot claim Carer’s Allowance if you are receiving certain other benefits. An important thing to know about Carer’s Allowance, however, is that claiming it can affect the benefits of the person that you care for as well as your own benefits and pension credits. In view of the complexity of the rules surrounding this benefit and the possibility of disadvantaging the person you care for or yourself as the carer, it is always advisable to check with a charitable welfare benefits adviser or local authority benefits rights worker before proceeding with a claim for Carer’s Allowance. Carers might be also able to claim Income Support (see below).

Means-tested benefits for people of working age Income Support Income support is a means-tested benefit that is based on total household income. It is a non-contributory benefit and is available to people who are under pension age and who have less than £16,000 in savings. Carers might be able to claim Income Support, as can other people whose personal circumstances dictate that they cannot look for a job or work more hours. This includes people such as lone parents with young children and asylum seekers who are not jobseeking. People who are working must not work for more than 16 hours per week and their partners must not work for more than 24 hours per week in order to qualify. A successful claim for Income Support might also mean that you will get help with mortgage interest payments and council tax and with housing costs if you pay rent (see section on help with housing costs below). It can also lead to entitlement to a host of other benefits known as ‘passport benefits’, such as free school meals for children and free NHS dental care for all the family.

Other benefits for working-age people It should be noted that some benefits can be either contribution-based or means-tested (ie income-based), depending on individual circumstances. Someone with lymphoma, whether undergoing treatment or in remission, might be seeking work. Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) would be the key benefit for someone in that position. However, if you are too ill to work, then you should claim ESA. When we consider means-tested benefits as a passport to other resources we need to think of Income Support, JSA and ESA if the latter two are being claimed on the basis of income.

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There are a number of additional funds which can be tapped into once a claimant is in receipt of a means-tested benefit: ● ●

Regulated Social Fund – grants for funeral expenses and Cold Weather Payments. Discretionary Social Fund – provides grants and interest loans for needs that are difficult to meet from benefits. There are two types of payments for people on meanstested benefits – Community Care Grants and Budgeting Loans. These might be awarded to support people to live independently in the community or help with the purchase of househod goods.

Please note that for those of pension age, a benefit called ‘Pension Credit’ might be paid instead of Income Support (see below). Because this is also means-tested, recipients might also be assisted by the funds mentioned above. In addition, people receiving Pension Credit might also be entitled to Winter Fuel Payments and Energy Efficiency Grants. Finally, Crisis Loans are for a short-term need in an emergency situation. Entitlement to a Crisis Loan is based on your circumstances and not on whether you claim benefits or not.

Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit HMRC administers tax credits and there are two types. Child Tax Credit is for those who have responsibility for a child and is a means-tested, non-taxable benefit with a fairly generous threshold. It does not matter whether the claimant is working or not and is claimed purely on the basis of household income and the number of dependent children. Working Tax Credit, on the other hand, is awarded on the basis of a claimant working a minimum number of hours, depending on circumstances, and earning a low wage. If you are part of a couple then you make a joint claim for Working Tax Credit and you might only need to be working 16 hours per week if you or your partner are claiming a form of disability benefit. The disability element of the Working Tax Credit can be particularly relevant for those who have lymphoma or who are in remission. This is a complex benefit and so it is essential to obtain professional advice from a charitable or local authority welfare rights adviser before submitting a claim. If you want to pre-check possible eligibility for either of these types of tax credits you could undertake a basic qualification test online (see contacts list at the end of this article).

Benefits for people of pension age Pension Credit There are two types of Pension Credit, depending on age and circumstances. These are Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit and they are means-tested benefits. However, some types of income might be disregarded when calculations are made for these types of Credit. Guarantee Credit is based on the ‘appropriate minimum guarantee’ income, which is of a similar level to Income Support for those under pension age. For example, where a single person is of State Pension age this amount is £142.70 per week. For a couple this amount rises to £217.90. There might also be additional amounts of money paid in a variety of circumstances, for example if you are disabled, if you are a carer or if you are paying interest on a mortgage. Benefits and disability rights

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The exact age when you qualify for this type of Guarantee Credit is based on the actual State Pension age, which is gradually being increased in line with government guidelines. For some people therefore the youngest State Pension and qualifying age might be 60 while for others it might be older. From December 2018 the State Pension age for both men and women will start to increase to reach 66 by April 2020. This will mean that women’s State Pension age will increase more quickly to 65 between April 2016 and November 2018. Any change to the timetable would need the approval of Parliament. The government is also considering the timetable for future increases in the State Pension age from 66 to 68. Savings Credit is for people aged 65 and over and is designed as an extra payment for people who have made modest provision for themselves in retirement. If you are a couple you have to make a joint claim for these two types of Pension Credit, providing that at least one of you has reached the designated State Pension age. Many pensioners qualify for one of these types of Pension Credit. It is always advisable to check with a charitable welfare benefits adviser or local authority benefits rights worker before proceeding with a claim as the rules can be quite complex.

Help with housing costs Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) If you are a homeowner paying a mortgage then you might be able to get help towards paying the interest on the mortgage. SMI only helps with the interest on the mortgage, not the lump sum borrowed. It also cannot be used to help pay mortgage arrears or insurance policies taken out to repay the lump sum (eg an endowment policy). You must be on a means-tested benefit to qualify, for example Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA or Pension Credit. Different rules apply to your claim for SMI depending on which means-tested benefit you are on. For example, a waiting period of 13 weeks is applicable for people on Income Support, income-based JSA and income-related ESA. Recipients of these benefits might be able to claim mortgage interest on a loan of up to £200,000. This is paid indefinitely while you are receiving these qualifying benefits, except in the case of people on income-based JSA, where the time limit is up to 2 years. If you are receiving Pension Credit the SMI rules are slightly different in that there is no qualifying waiting period and the mortgage interest limit is £100,000. There is also no time limit on how long this is paid, as long as the claimant is in receipt of a qualifying benefit.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit The local authority administers these two benefits and they are both means-tested benefits that are based on your household income. Housing Benefit is paid to people who need help with their rent. The amount paid will depend on your income and the assessed weekly ‘eligible rent’. This amount depends on the type of landlord you rent from. For example, if you have a private landlord there is a set Local Housing Benefits and disability rights

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Allowance maximum that will be paid. Any shortfall between the two amounts would have to be found from your own pocket. Some tenants in local authority housing or housing association accommodation who are on income-related benefits such as Income Support might have their applicable rent paid in full, however. Council Tax Benefit is awarded as a rebate towards council tax liability, so it reduces the amount payable each financial year. Some benefit claimants on income-related benefits such as Income Support receive full Council Tax Benefit relief. Others receive a partial award for the year, depending on individual and household circumstances. The rules and calculations for all housing costs benefits are complicated, so always check possible benefit entitlement with a specialist advice centre.

Other benefits Bereavement benefits There are three main benefits for people whose spouse died on or after 9 April 2001 or whose civil partner died after 5 December 2005. These are Bereavement Payment, Widowed Parent’s Allowance and Bereavement Allowance. The Bereavement Payment is a one-off fixed sum of £2,000 (tax-free) that is payable if the deceased had paid NICs, was under State Pension age or was not entitled to the category A State Pension when they died.

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The Widowed Parent’s Allowance is paid if you have dependent children or are pregnant at the time of your spouse’s death.

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The Bereavement Allowance is paid to people who are not bringing up children and who are aged 45 and over but under State Pension age when their partner or spouse died. It is paid for a maximum of 52 weeks.

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Help with health costs Low-income health benefits Full or partial help with costs such as NHS prescription charges, NHS dental treatment, hospital travel costs, sight tests, vouchers for glasses or contact lenses, wigs and fabric supports might be available to you. Entitlement to these types of benefits is automatic if you or your household are in receipt of income-based benefits such as Income Support, income-related JSA or income-based ESA. You might also be entitled to these benefits if you are on Pension Guarantee Credit or on Working Tax Credit with either Child Tax Credit or a disability element, depending on your income. If none of the above applies and you are on a low income then you can apply for some assistance through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Entitlement under this scheme is still means-tested but you might be awarded partial help towards costs if your income is limited and your savings are below £16,000 (not including the value of your home). You will need to fill in form HC1, which is available from your health practitioner.

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Prescription charges exemptions Some people automatically qualify for exemption from prescription charges, for example people aged under 16 or over 60. However, some people, including those who have been diagnosed with cancer, might have to apply for an exemption certificate based on their medical condition. This can be obtained by completing form FP92A in England. This entitles you to free prescriptions if you are undergoing treatment for cancer, or are suffering from either the effects of the cancer or the effects of the treatment. Even if you are in remission you could still be experiencing symptoms such as breathing problems or fatigue and these could all be included in this definition of effects of lymphatic cancer. Other medical conditions also warrant exemption, such as having a medical condition that makes you housebound without assistance from another, or having a permanent fistula (eg a colostomy), diabetes or epilepsy. For those who do not fall into one of these exemption categories and who do not qualify for free prescriptions in another way, then a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) could be considered. PPCs cover you for all of your own NHS prescriptions, no matter how many items you need. If you will have to pay for four or more prescription items in 3 months, or more than 14 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a PPC. Note that prescriptions are free for everyone in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

And finally… Associated benefits There are a vast number of different types of ‘benefits’ out there for people whose circumstances warrant some form of assistance. There are also other linked awards that can be applied for once you are in receipt of particular benefits.

Changes in your circumstances If you are receipt of benefits then it is important to notify the appropriate agency of the Department for Work and Pensions of any changes. A change in circumstances could be something like returning to work or being admitted into or discharged from hospital. These types of situations may affect the amount of benefit that you are entitled to and therefore by law you should always report them.

Further help There are several sources of help with entitlement to benefits and with claiming benefits. The list at the end of this information leaflet should signpost you to some of the most useful of these agencies. Please note, however, that the author and the Lymphoma Association accept no responsibility for the accuracy or content of the resource materials listed in the ‘Further information’ section. They are provided as guidance only. The information we have provided here on welfare benefits is to the author’s best knowledge and belief correct at the time of this update in July 2012. It is also important to keep in mind that benefit regulations and rules are changing all the time and it is vital that you always seek advice from a welfare benefits professional about possible benefit entitlement. Benefits and disability rights

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Glossary DLA

Disability Living Allowance

ESA

Employment Support Allowance

HMRC HM Revenue & Customs JSA

Jobseeker’s Allowance

NIC(s) National Insurance contribution(s) OSP

Occupational Sick Pay

PIP

Personal Independence Payment

PPC

Prepayment Prescription Certificate

SMI

Support for Mortgage Interest

SSP

Statutory Sick Pay

Acknowledgement The Lymphoma Association is very grateful to Denise Maguire for writing and subsequently updating this article. Denise has been personally affected by lymphoma and was an awardwinner of the Beacon of Hope Awards 2010. She is an academic lawyer and disability rights advocator who also currently serves on the Inclusive Needs Sub-Committee at the University of London’s International Programme.

Useful organisations and contacts Free benefits advice Citizens Advice Find your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) through your library or telephone book. www.citizensadvice.org.uk Macmillan Cancer Support  0808 808 0000 Macmillan benefits advisers work from cancer information centres, CAB offices or other accessible offices throughout the country. Find one at: www.macmillan.org.uk/HowWeCanHelp/FinancialSupport/BenefitsAdvisers/ MacBenefitsAdvisers.aspx Turn2us A charitable service which helps people access the money available to them – through welfare benefits, grants and other help. Their website has an online entitlement calculator and a search engine for charitable grants.  Helpline 0808 802 2000 www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx The turn2us site also provides a benefits changes timetable: http://www.turn2us.org.uk/ information__resources/benefits/news_and_changes/benefit_changes.aspx?page=16619

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Department for Work and Pensions Benefits Adviser service – general benefits checker www.direct.gov.uk/en/diol1/doitonline/doitonlinebycategory/DG_172666 Benefit Enquiry Line at Directgov Government-run information line providing advice to those with disabilities and their carers. Also for ordering related claim packs.  0800 882 200 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/DG_10011165 HMRC Working and Child Tax Credits  Tax Credits Helpline: 0345 300 3900 http://taxcredits.hmrc.gov.uk/Qualify/DIQHousehold.aspx Equipment and vehicles for disabled people (which may be exempt from VAT)  Helpline: 0345 302 0203 www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/sectors/consumers/disabled.htm Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance Enquiry Line  0845 302 1444 Local authorities/councils Find contact details through your library or telephone book. Check if your local council has a welfare rights department. Other council services Adult services (Social Services) – disabled parking (blue badge) scheme, adaptations etc. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. Revenues and Finance section for free school meals, education benefits etc.

Advice and claims on individual benefits Claim online for DLA and Attendance Allowance at www.dwp.gov.uk/eservice Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance Helpline (for new and existing claims)  08457 123 456 Carer’s Allowance Unit General Enquiries  0845 608 4321 Pension Credit  Pension Credit Helpline: 0800 99 1234 www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensionsandretirementplanning/PensionCredit/DG_180167

Help with health costs – benefits and support Cancer Information and Support Centres These centres, often part-funded by Macmillan Cancer Support, provide an invaluable resource for information about all aspects of cancer, including finance and benefit issues. They can be found in many towns across the country, usually in local hospitals, and some are also run as mobile units. www.macmillan.org.uk/HowWeCanHelp/LocalInformationCentres/MacmillanInfoCentres.aspx Benefits and disability rights

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NHS Low Income Scheme  0845 850 1166 Order form HC1 online at: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/1128.aspx Prepayment Prescription Certificates Prescription Pricing Authority  0845 850 0030 www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/2131.aspx PALS (Patient Advocacy Liaison Service) Can help deal with people’s day-to-day issues and problems with NHS Trusts. The local NHS Trust can give details of the PALS service that it provides. http://www.pals.nhs.uk/ The Patients Association Offers a signposting service to independent information and advice on a range of healthcare issues.  Helpline: 0845 608 4455  [email protected] www.patients-association.com

Employment, law and other matters The Equality Act 2010 now governs the area of anti-discrimination law for those affected by cancer and their carers. Further advice on this can be obtained from the free benefits advice services given earlier. Any of the organisations listed below might be able to provide guidance on support at work. Access to Work Scheme at Directgov National contact centres give advice and support on extra costs associated with work if you are affected by ill health or disability. www.direct.gov.uk/en/disabledpeople/employmentsupport/workschemesandprogrammes/ dg_173083 Or contact your local Jobcentre Plus office and disability employment adviser. Equality and Human Rights Commission Provides advice and guidance.  Helpline: 0845 604 6610 (England and Wales), 0845 604 5510 (Scotland), 0845 604 8810 (Wales) www.equalityhumanrights.com ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) Free help and information for anyone with a work-related problem.  Helpline: 08457 474747 www.acas.org.uk TUC (Trades Union Congress) Provides advice and information on employment issues and local union details.  Pay and Work Rights Helpline: 0800 917 2368 www.worksmart.org.uk Benefits and disability rights

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Disability Law Service For free, confidential legal advice. 39–45 Cavell Street, London E1 2BP  020 7791 9800  [email protected] (or via website) www.dls.org.uk Law Centres Federation Free legal service for those within the catchment area of a law centre.  020 7842 0720  [email protected] www.lawcentres.org.uk

Other helpful organisations and contacts Disability Rights UK Disability Alliance, the National Centre for Independent Living and the Royal Association for Disability Rights (RADAR) have now amalgamated to become Disability Rights UK, which campaigns and advises on all aspects of disability.  020 7250 3222 (and individual helplines, see website) www.disabilityrightsuk.org Disabled Living Foundation Provides information and advice on daily living and equipment.  Helpline: 0845 130 9177  [email protected] www.dlf.org.uk Consumer Credit Counselling Service Provides debt advice.  0800 138 1111 www.cccs.co.uk Motability Scheme A charitable organisation that enables disabled people to exchange either their higher rate mobility component of DLA or their War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement to obtain a new car, powered wheelchair or scooter.  0845 456 4566 www.motability.co.uk Cinema Card Cinema Exhibitors’ Association Card.  0845 123 1292 Application form available online at: www.ceacard.co.uk

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How we can help you We provide: ●

a free helpline providing information and emotional support  0808 808 5555 (9am–6pm Mondays–Thursdays; 9am–5pm Fridays) or  [email protected]

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free information sheets and booklets about lymphoma

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a website with forums and a chatroom – www.lymphomas.org.uk

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the opportunity to be put in touch with others affected by lymphoma through our buddy scheme a nationwide network of lymphoma support groups.

How you can help us We continually strive to improve our information resources for people affected by lymphoma and we would be interested in any feedback you might have on this article. Please visit www.lymphomas.org.uk/feedback or email [email protected] if you have any comments. Alternatively please phone our helpline on 0808 808 5555.

We make every effort to ensure that the information we provide is accurate but it should not be relied upon to reflect the current state of medical research, which is constantly changing. If you are concerned about your health, you should consult your doctor. The Lymphoma Association cannot accept liability for any loss or damage resulting from any inaccuracy in this information or third party information such as information on websites which we link to. Please see our website (www.lymphomas.org.uk) for more information about how we produce our information. © Lymphoma Association PO Box 386, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 2GA Registered charity no. 1068395 Produced 14.02.2011 Updated 20.07.2012 Next revision due 20.07.2013

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