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Off work with a brain tumour - financial advice please!

15 replies

WoahBodyforrrm · 19/12/2018 00:09

I wonder if anyone can advise me. To cut a long story short, I was diagnosed in 2015 with a brain tumour (benign but just as willing and able to kill you as a malignant one!) it turned my life upside down and my outlook changed on many things. My twins were 3 at the time and I also had two boys aged 4 and 7. Once I had recovered, I took a job as an MSA at my kids school for 7.5hrs a week to get me out of the house (I lost my driving licence and was very low). Since then, the head has asked me to work as many hours as I can in the school office. I’ve been doing this and loving it for between 3-5 days a week depending on how busy I am with appts etc. However, I was never put on an office contract so am still only contracted for 7.5hrs a week. In January I am going for another surgery, followed by 6 weeks of radio and 12 months of chemo.

Obviously if I get sick pay, it will only go on my MSA wage which isn’t even £160pm. I wondered if I can get any help from anywhere. It broke us financially the last time round (my partner is self-employed) and we have been working hard to pull ourselves back on to our feet, so any little help we can get would really help.

We currently receive child tax credits and child benefit and that’s it. I’ve never needed to apply for anything else thankfully so I don’t even know who to speak to about it.

I was hoping to be able to go back to work at least for a couple of days a week but have since found out my immune system will be low and working with kids isn’t advised.

This year is going to be shitty enough as it is without us missing mortgage payments again.

Can anyone advise?

OP posts:
MunchMunch · 19/12/2018 00:13

I'm sorry you're going through this and I don't have any advice apart from maybe applying for PIP.

BoswellsLastStand · 19/12/2018 00:14

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis.

Have you looked into benevolent charitable funds? I'm not sure what an MSA is but I'm guessing a kind of teacher.

Are you a member of a union? Trying searching for "teaching" and "benevolent funds" or what ever your job is. There are lots of charities that give aid in this type of situation - cancer support charities may be able to help point you in the right direction

BoswellsLastStand · 19/12/2018 00:16

Just googled and these came up - this was the work of a moment so there are probably loads more and ones that are more suited to you

teachingstafftrust.org.uk/

www.eis.org.uk/member-support/benevolent

www.divide.org.uk/charitydetail/36/

CaroloftheBalls · 19/12/2018 00:18

Can you get a new contract?

BoswellsLastStand · 19/12/2018 00:19

BTW please remember that any one who has donated to a benevolent fund has donated precisely to help someone like you. That is the whole purpose these funds exist - so please do apply to ones that you are eligible for.

It's what they exist for and many are under utilised because a lot of people don't know they are there and those that do get embarrassed about asking for help when they really REALLY shouldn't be.

WoahBodyforrrm · 19/12/2018 00:28

Thank you all so much for your replies. I’ve never heard of a benevolent fund so I will definitely look into that Flowers

An MSA is the fancy name for a dinner lady, so I’m not part of a union. And unfortunately I don’t think the head will change my contract now knowing that I am going to need an unknown amount of time off and schools being seriously strapped for cash right now. I’m kicking myself for not getting the extra hours or at least some of them contracted before now, but the Ad hoc thing worked for me so I was loath to change it 🙄.

Thank you for all those links, I will have a good read tomorrow and see what can be done, if anything.

I’m definitely not one to ask for help from anyone but I need to take the pressure of my OH. Especially as the kids are still young and he will have to juggle them around work.

Life can be so sodding hard sometimes.

Thank you all again, so muchFlowers

OP posts:
vinegarqueen · 19/12/2018 00:49

OP, you can join a union as a part time MSA (anyone can join a union!) I recommend joining Unison or the GMB, which support public service workers. The membership for unison is based on earnings, and the GMB has a special low rate if you are off sick. I think if you are being asked to work all hours in the office that should be reflected in your contract, but a union can give you lots of advice about that. They can also give you special access to financial and legal advice.

Babyroobs · 19/12/2018 10:08

If you have paid full NI contributions for the past few years then you could claim contributions based ( or new style) esa but I doubt you have on so few hours and you may not be eligible for ssp either. You may be able to claim PIP when you are off work for a prolonged period of time during your treatment but I doubt you would get it now whilst working - I know people can work and claim PIP but you would need to be having significant difficulties with washing, dressing, cooking a meal, mobilising etc and this may not apply until after your surgery and you are going through treatment. if you are not eleigible for contributions based benefits your best bet may be claiming UC as you would get the LCWRA ( work capability ) element after a 13 week waiting period when you go off sick. Any UC would depend on your husbands earnings though and you would not be able to claim UC until after feb 2019 as until then you cannot claim with 3 or more children. If you have a Macmillan benefits team in your area then please try to speak to them - they can advise, help with forms and you may be able to get a grant towards travel costs whilst doing daily trips for Radiotherapy and chemo . They also have a national helpline you can call for advice.

Babyroobs · 19/12/2018 10:10

Just to add - Universal credit can be very problematic for the self employed ( sorry I only just saw that when re-reading your post) , so please make sure if you did consider Uc that you consider everything and get some specialist advice from macmillan or CAB. Hope all goes well for you.

Pandamodium · 19/12/2018 10:13

Not sure your area but in ours you are exempt from UC if you have three or more DC.

I would try to claim PIP you can claim and work, your local welfare rights are your best bet.

Babyroobs · 19/12/2018 10:15

From feb 2019 people with 3 children or more will be able to claim UC. That is the same irrespective of area.

DowntonCrabby · 19/12/2018 10:24

I’m not 100% sure but I think you might get full SSP based on your earnings despite your income.

I was not on contract when I went on maternity leave and got full SMP based on income over the year preceding.

I’ve had a google and definitely think you’ll qualify....

www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay/eligibility

DowntonCrabby · 19/12/2018 10:24

*sorry despite your contracted income

Babyroobs · 19/12/2018 10:30

I think it has to be something like earnings of £125 per week for SSP.

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