News

Welfare Advisors Gain Local Family £80,000 Payout

Wednesday August 8 2012

WELFARE advisors have helped a Barnsley family secure almost £80,000 in payouts they didn't know they were entitled to.

The Macmillan Welfare Rights Advisors provide support for those who have been diagnosed with cancer - they helped one patient claim £21,000 in benefits and £58,000 from the Mesothelioma compensation scheme.

Peter Francis, head of Welfare Rights Service, said; “When they first contacted us they were only receiving a weekly income of £71 from Employment Support Allowance.

"Within a few weeks of the initial phone call, they had been awarded additional benefits which saw their weekly income increase to £447. This, along with the compensation of £58,000 has obviously helped with the financial situation the family faces.”

Coun Alan Gardiner added: “The last thing someone going through treatment needs is the stress and worry of their finances.”

For more information or advice call the Welfare Rights Macmillan Advisors on 01226 787602 (opening hours Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm and Friday 9am to 4.30pm)

Reply Posted by shaun on Wednesday August 8 2012 at 16:53

it baffles you don't it... midwives go on about wot u can claim and allsortd... surely a doctor shud do the same

Reply Posted by trish on Friday August 10 2012 at 08:15

My son had cancer last year and after having to look after him i had to take time off work so lost money there,also after 28 weeks of being on the sick from work i had to then claim esa..so lost my tax credits too..all in all i lost over £100 pw..all because my son had cancer..there should be something in place..it terrible what families have to suffer..i wish the above family a speedy recovery x

Reply Posted by George Smith on Friday August 10 2012 at 09:42

Its about time renal patients got the same rights and support when they struggle with dialysis. They to hold down a job that's killing them only to be told there is no help because they are working and while trying to support themselves continually lose money sending them on a downward spiral.

Reply Posted by Graham Moore on Friday August 10 2012 at 10:34

The system is just upside down :-/

Reply Posted by George Smith on Sunday August 19 2012 at 19:25

Reposted from WAB FB Page ...

My son is a renal patient and on dialysis 3 times a week for 4/5 hour sessions, he is working in a physical job for not much more than minimum wage. Now you do the maths, ¾ hour to get to work, ¾ hour to get home. On a typical dialysis day he is up at 6am, starts work at 7am and leaves at 2pm to get home to shower and get to dialysis for a 4 or 5 hour session sometimes not getting in while after 9pm at night.

Then he has to get up next day feeling like crap and go to work again and try and make up the extra hours he lost the day before. Needless to say it is hard for him to manage a 40 hour week and then only to get marked down by his company on his attendance and criticised because on some days he is not 100% focused, callous b***ds the lot of them. He gets nothing, ziltch in any way from the state and it is only his pride that keeps him going, this is going to kill him and all I hear is people bitching over losing benefits and hand-outs.

OK he's a single guy, but isn't he part of society too and just because he has kept it in his pants and not increased the population why should he not get help. My sons condition is not caused through self abuse with drugs or alcohol and something he has battled with since being 3 years old until finally his kidneys gave in a year ago and he ended up on dialysis. Why should he not get DLA (Disability Living Allowance), Tax Credits or Mobility Allowance in fact there should be a new allowance that rewards those who are trying and there is nothing in this broken system to help them. The only way he will get any help is when he collapses on site through exhaustion or has an accident and damages his fistula causing a bleed out. Then he may be deemed unfit for work and finally get some help, sad thing it might too late and he will become just another statistic of a system that doesn't give a damn.

Reply Posted by concerned mother on Monday August 20 2012 at 14:37

the way your son is treated is absolutely disgusting and it is for people like your son that i am trying to get my point across he should be on benefits and the top wack no person who is ill should be forced to kill themselves through work and its the people who catogarise everyone on benefits as scroungers that really annoy me your son should not be forced to work and he would certainly NOT be a scrounging low life i wish your son well in the future and hope that things improve for him

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