All fired up

[Sailor]

Dear Versaillon Your oncologist is wrong! It is one of the many problems that those dealing with advocacy for those affected by cancer deal with - the ignorance of oncologists ion this area. Ring the Cancer Helpline and ask to talk to someone from Cancer connect who has received the Cares Payment. If you are working that will be a difficulty, but they will take into account your income. Also get onto Carer's Austyralia and ask their advice. Also access to superannuation, the act specifies (we tried to get it three years) twelve months life expectancy, not six months, under normal condition as prevail now -if you go longer than twelve months it doesn't matter. Our biggest problem is getting oncologists to admit that they can only offer twelve months - it seems they all believe in miracles that they will deliver. Rob maybe eligible for a disability support penison - as I have said you do need a PhD in form filling but there are a lot of others who have managed it. So keep trying and rely on you oncologist for medical advice, try others for financial and eligibility advice. In the cancer area it is multidisciplinary help we need Cheers Sailor If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable. Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[Versaillon]

Hi Sailor Thanks for the advice. Our situation is a tough one. Rob is, as I said, a public servant and the department he works for offers unlimited sick leave. He gets paid his normal salary even though he only works maybe 3-4 days in a fortnight. I work full time hours (2pm to 10pm) so it appears we are better off than others in the same situation. I dare say, given Rob is still technically full time employed, we are ineligible for basically anything. All I wanted was some subsidised housekeeping help as I was finding it hard to be superwoman and, even though we're doing ok, we still have rent, bills etc etc etc to pay for so any little bit would help. Alas, we have gone forward and paid for our cleaner because trying to fight the system while fighting cancer just seemed insurmountable. Our oncologist did say to speak to the social worker at the hospital which I will do next week on our next visit. If we can find some help, it'd be better than nothing. Jo

[Jules2]

Totally agree with you sailor ... they are wrong! I have a friend that works at centrelink and gets the small carers pmt for her mother. Who she rings daily and does a bit of running around for. Soooo, its not easy navigating through the centrelink maze but certainly possible. 🙂

[mihalo]

Hi Jo, I haven't been on here for a long time. Haven't read your profile yet but just wanted to know how u got on with centrelink? I was diagnosed with terminal bowel ca in 2007 and like you was told I was ineligible for anything from centrelink as my husband was going to continue to work throughout my treatment. i was later told that with a terminal diagnosis you are entitled to a disability support pernsion and pension card. I think the income cut off may be about $65,000 but don't quote me on that. You as a carer of someone who is "terminal" are entitled to the carer allowence which is non-means tested. The carer pension is means tested. So for the 1st 12 months of my fight we got nothing, then a friend of mine pushed me to try again. I had palliative care help fill in forms. Because I was "terminal" they simply ticked terminal - 3 months to live and we have received it ever since. I mean really, who knows when you are terminal how long we have, anything could happen in the mean time. Who are centrelink to play God and say you are only terminal if the Doctor thinks you have 3 months to live. We hear so often of people being given a few weeks to live and going on to live for another 12 months. I was given 6 months to live and that was 29 months ago! I'm not lying to centrelink, the tumors in my lungs could kill me at any point, I could get a lung infection and drop dead.....who knows, not me and even my docs are suprised at how well I am, so if you aren't already getting some assistance, get pall care to help out if you have access to them! Cheers mihalo