How to increase your income / reduce your expenditure as a cancer patient / carer:

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Rose Mason
8 years ago
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1 Hw t increase yur incme / reduce yur expenditure as a cancer patient / carer: Try t plan ahead if yu can and think abut what yur incme and spending is and hw this will be affected if yu have t have time ff wrk. This may be difficult r smething that yu put ff ding but it can help make things easier at a later date and pssibly prevent financial difficulties arising. Check yur insurance plicies / mrtgage cver as t whether yu are cvered fr ill health / critical illness. Speak t yur Clinical Nurse Specialist t see whether yu are able t pay a reduced rate fr car parking r fr free. Sme patients may als be able t access the hspital transprt scheme. Yu may als be able t qualify fr a blue badge parking permit check with yur lcal authrity. As a cancer patient yu shuld be eligible fr free prescriptins. Have a benefits review This is key. Yu may be entitled t mney, even if yu think yu are nt. Sme entitlements are nt means tested s if yu meet the criteria yu will receive them whether yu have savings / incme (pensins/ wage) r nt. One thing that peple smetimes frget is that if yu d qualify fr sme benefits, they can entitle yu t ther schemes / services. Please d nt be put ff having a benefits review. It culd help pay fr ther things that may make things mre cmfrtable fr yu fr instance a taxi instead f waiting fr hspital transprt. There are lts f rganisatins lcally wh ffer help in cmpleting the frms t. (cntact yur Clinical Nurse Specialist fr mre infrmatin abut where these rganisatins are) 1

2 Reducing husehld bills gas / water / electricity etc Switch payment methd / r switch tariff Changing payment methd can make it easier t manage yur energy bills. Als dn t frget that yu may be able t reduce yur energy bills if yu shp arund fr a better deal fr yur energy. Winter fuel payments Fr winter 2011/12, winter fuel payments f up t 200 are paid t peple ver the age f 60. Thse ver 80 can claim 300. Fr a claim frm r mre infrmatin cntact the Winter Fuel Payment htline n Ask whether yu are eligible, as a cancer patient, r carer f a cancer patient, fr the Warm Hme Discunt (WHD). This is a new scheme funded by energy suppliers. It came int frce n 1 April 2011 and will prvide apprx 1.13 billin in direct and indirect financial supprt t vulnerable energy cnsumers ver the next fur years. The WHD replaces scial tariffs and vluntary arrangements previusly ffered by energy suppliers. The fllwing cmpanies are part f this scheme but if yur supplier is nt listed belw check with them as they may recently have jined. British Gas / Scttish Gas / Sainsbury s Energy EDF Energy E.ON Energy npwer Scttish and Suthern Energy / Atlantic / Scttish Hydr / SSE / Suthern Electric / SWALEC / Ebic (EquiPwer and EquiDual) / M&S Energy ScttishPwer Yu can cntact either the Energy Saving Trust n r the Hme Heat Helpline n (bth free phne numbers) fr advice n saving energy and grants and schemes available t help make yur hme warmer and save yu mney. Yu may als be eligible thrugh the Warm Frnt Scheme ( ) but need t be in receipt f certain benefits anther reasn t have a benefit review. Cnsumer Fcus and Citizens Advice are making peple aware f the fllwing 5 tp tips if they fall behind with their bills: Always cntact yur energy supplier as sn as yu realise yu might have truble with paying. Debts will build-up and be harder t pay ff 2

3 the lnger yu leave them. Yur supplier has a respnsibility t help yu if yu have prblems paying yur bill. Tell yur energy firm what yu can affrd t pay they have t take this int accunt in agreeing repayments f the mney yu we. Ask yur energy cmpany, yur lcal Citizens Advice Bureau r call the Hme Heat Helpline t find ut abut ther free energy help available. Fr example yu culd qualify fr a discunt ff yur bill r free insulatin t help yur hme stp leaking heat and cut yur bills. Even if yu are in debt yu may still be able t switch t a cheaper deal with yur current supplier, especially if yu pay by cash, cheque r prepayment meter. If yu pay by pre-payment meter and have less than 200 f debt yu can als switch t a cheaper deal with anther supplier. Financial help is available which culd make it easier t affrd yur bills check yu are receiving all f the benefits and tax credits yu are entitled t by getting in tuch with yur lcal Citizens Advice Bureau r visiting If yu get int difficulties A supplier has t make all reasnable attempts t help yu pay yur bill befre cnsidering discnnectin. It must nt discnnect cnsumers in winter (1 Octber - 31 March) if: they are pensiners wh are disabled r chrnically sick they are pensiners and live alne r nly with ther pensiners r children under 18 Yur energy cmpany has t help yu t repay the amunt wed at a rate that s affrdable t yu. The custmer service cntact details fr different energy cmpanies are belw: British Gas Tel: EDF Energy Tel: E.ON Tel: npwer Tel: (mnthly direct debit) (cash, cheque r quarterly direct debit custmers) (prepayment meter custmer) SSE Grup Tel: (SSE and Suthern Electric) (Scttish Hydr) (SWALEC) (Atlantic) Scttish Pwer Tel: C-perative Energy Tel:

4 Ebic Tel: Ectricity Tel: (dmestic custmers) First Utility Tel: Gd Energy Tel: Green Energy Tel: Ov Tel: Spark Energy Tel: Utilita Tel: Utility Warehuse Tel: United Utilities - are assisting thse clients wh are struggling t pay their water bills by transferring them nt a lwer tariff. At present Clients cannt be hme wners and have t be n a qualifying benefit. They can be cntacted n payments assistance team. Pssible grant funding there will be thers: Sme examples f grant funding that may be available t yu: Denny Fund (fr brain tumur patients). The maximum 500 which can be used against any debts / purchase f white gds r twards a hliday. Carer s grants Time fr Me Grant (check that yur lcal carers rganisatin ffers this it is nt available in the Blackpl area) ffers up t 350 t be spent n yurself. Macmillan grants speak t Macmillan ( g thrugh their helpline) Scial fund grants - When yu are n a lw incme, it is very difficult t budget fr emergency expenses, funeral csts, the csts f a new baby r ne-ff payments fr large items, such as furnishing a hme. Yu culd als be in a situatin where yu have n mney cming in at all. There is mney available fr these situatins, althugh it is limited. Cmmunity care grants Cmmunity care grants are intended t help with expenses s that peple can live in the cmmunity and families can stay tgether. Cmmunity care grants are discretinary, which means that even if yu are eligible yu will nly get ne if the benefit ffice decides that yur need is imprtant and there is enugh mney left in the district Scial Fund budget. Cmmunity care grants d nt have t be repaid, s yu shuld always check if yu are eligible t claim ne when yu have expenses yu cannt meet. 4

5 If yu have internet access the fllwing sites may be f assistance: Macmillan Cancer Supprt Directgv list f lts f public sectr resurces Citizen s Advice Bureau There may be ther areas that yu haven t thught abut where yu are entitled t credit / reductins / access ther services t supprt yu. Husing Mrtgage arrears Insurance Tenant Re-husing Rent arrears Gardening Adaptatin fr disability Maintenance Ging int residential care Husehld bills Cuncil tax Emplyment Time ff Occupatinal Pensin Death in service pay Unfair dismissal SSP Terminate emplyment Tax rebate Industrial disease Discriminatin Cntract f Emplyment Self emplyment Reduced hurs / phased return Career change 5

6 Quality f Life Blue Badge scheme Hliday/cnvalescence Mtability Scheme Aids and adaptatins Natinal Key Scheme Telephne Supprt Grups Cmmunicatin Respite care Equipment (OT) Treats Lss f speech Liquid diet Financial and Legal Plicies Credit Agreements Welfare benefits Jint prperty/ investments Side Effects Hair lss Difficulty swallwing Sickness Feeling cld Weight lss Weight gain Difficulty writing Risk f infectin Incntinence Pain Bdy Image Lss f speech Tiredness Depressin Family and Persnal Partner / spuse Child Care Helping children cpe Dependant parents Friends and wrk clleagues Pets Fertility csts 6

7 Insurance Prtectin Check if insured fr: Mrtgage Credit Cards Lans Medical csts Inpatient /day patient Hliday Death and Dying Funeral csts Memrial stne Will Grant f Prbate Letters f administratin Guardianship Marriage (invalidates earlier will) Respnsibility fr children Respnsibility fr debts Pwer f attrney Planning a funeral 7

What Happens To My Benefits If I Get a Bunch of Money? TANF Here is what happens if you are on the TANF program when you get lump-sum income:

What Happens To My Benefits If I Get a Bunch of Money? TANF Here is what happens if you are on the TANF program when you get lump-sum income: 126 Sewall Street Augusta, Maine 04330-6822 TTY/Vice: (207) 626-7058 Fax: (207) 621-8148 www.mejp.rg What Happens T My Benefits If I Get a Bunch f Mney? Each prgram, (TANF, SSI, MaineCare, etc.) has its