Recenlty Diagnosed with ET

Recent diagnosis
1

Hi,

My dad (56) has recently been diagnosed with Essential Thrombocythemia. While he is currently under going a bone marrow biopsy to confirm the type of blood cancer, as a family we’ve started thinking about our options to support him moving forwards.

While he doesn’t have many symptoms currently, id like to try and put a PIP claim in for him, as he has a very manual job. As a delivery driver he sits for long periods of the day (not ideal for someone more prone to blood clots) and does alot of heavy lifting which I’ve read isnt ideal for his condition.

Unfortunately he isn’t in a position to retire or quit altogether with a mortgage still. However if we were able to get any support from PIP he could potentially drop some hours or something.

Has anyone had any luck in successfully claiming anything like PIP in circumstances similar?

Thanks in advance.

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Hi @Claro a great big welcome to our forum and a big question as many of us were diagnosed whilst still working full time in a manual job (and with a mortgage!!),
At this point what does your dad want to do and has he spoken to his employer yet.
I will copy the Blood Cancer UK section on money and work for him to consider first.
Blood cancer: money and work | Blood Cancer UK
The Blood Cancer UK support line is there for him on 0808 2080 888 for questions after he has read it as well.
You say your dad does not currently have many symptoms, so time is on his side, he doesn’t have to make a decision right away and he needs to be happy with what he decides.
Let’s hope others can share their experiences with you.
He is so lucky having you to support and help him.
Be kind and look after yourselves and please do let us know how you all get on.

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Good afternoon @Claro

Thank you for your post.
We are sorry to hear about your Dad’s diagnosis.
As Erica has kindly mentioned, you might find our ‘Blood cancer: money and work’ page helpful. This includes information on benefits and other financial support. It also contains information on other help you might be able to access, such as one-off grants and help paying bills as well as about talking to your employer and a work email template that may be helpful for your dad.

Our colleagues at Macmillan also offer useful information on their ‘Cost of living - support for people with cancer’ page. You can also speak to one of their specialist welfare rights advisors on the phone, via webchat or over email. You might be able to speak to somebody in person - you can check their directory to find out what support is on offer locally.

In case it is helpful in any way, the organisation Turn2us are a national charity providing support and information on financial issues. They have a benefits calculator to help you understand what benefits you may be entitled to: benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk. You can also search for grants, which do not have to be paid back, here: grants-search.turn2us.org.uk.

For most benefits you can either apply online, or request an application pack to be sent in the post. It can often be helpful to alert your GP, haematology team or clinical nurse specialist team (CNS) that you’re applying for benefits, so that they can write a letter of support for your application.

You can also request support with filling in application forms, or get more information to help you understand which benefits you may be entitled to, by contacting Citizens Advice. There’s information on their website about benefits if you’re sick, disabled or caring for someone who is, which you may find helpful.

In addition to this, Turn2us also have an advice finder tool which allows you to search using your postcode to find local advice services. This can be useful for anyone who wants local help with things like housing issues or benefits form filling- Turn2Us - AdviceFinder?

Any type of cancer should be classified as a disability and therefore it is likely that your dad could be eligible for PIP and or ESA (Employment Support Allowance). He should also be able to ask for reasonable adjustments at work as discussed on our money and work page.

Take care,
Emma (support services nurse)

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