Chapter 27: Living with and beyond cancer
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Principles of care
Cancer nurses should ensure that they (Macmillan Cancer Support [154]):
- Refer patients to wider information about work and financial support.
- Encourage patients to share their domestic, social, work and financial situation as part of a needs assessment and in drawing up their written care plan. This needs regular review, particularly at key points in the pathway. This enables clinicians to talk to patients about work and refer them to further support whether they are employed, unemployed or self‐employed.
- Refer patients to hospital benefits services as well as benefits services offered by cancer charities. Some reasons for referring patients for additional support include:
- the patient needs financial support
- housing/homeless issues
- advice about appealing a DWP decision
- the patient needs advice about applying for higher rate benefits
- the patient's benefit has been stopped
- reassessment from DLA benefit to PIP
- applications to charities.
Method of claiming and receiving benefits
It is important the claimant visits the DWP website to access up‐to‐date information about how to submit claims as these do differ depending on the benefit:
- Personal Independence Payment – the preferred method is by telephone.
- Attendance Allowance – the preferred method is by post.
- Carer's Allowance – can be made through an online application.
- Employment and Support Allowance – the quickest method is by telephone.
- Universal Credit – can be made through an online application.
How payment is made
Benefits are usually paid straight into the patient's bank, building society or credit union account (DWP [71], [72], [73], [74], [75]). See Table 27.3 for how often they are usually paid.
| Benefit | How often it is paid |
|---|---|
| Personal Independence Payment | Usually every 4 weeks |
| Attendance Allowance | Usually every 4 weeks |
| Carer's Allowance | Weekly in advance, or every 4 or 13 weeks |
| Employment and Support Allowance | Usually every 2 weeks |
| Universal Credit | Usually every month |
Patients who qualify for Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment under the special rules (terminally ill) are usually paid weekly.
Anticipated patient outcomes
Patients with cancer will be fully aware of what benefits they and, where applicable, their carers may qualify for. Appropriate referrals will be made to welfare support officers when patients require additional help in navigating the system and making claims. Patients will claim for the benefits they qualify for.
