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Hi All,
Having some issues at the moment in general and looking for a bit of advice. I've been told to contact the CAB but several people now have told me they're not that useful, which isn't very encouraging.
Basically I've been off work since April with relapsed Leukaemia, I've now had treatment consisting of several rounds of chemotherapy and in November I had a Bone Marrow Transplant which I spent a couple of months in hospital for. Slowly I'm on the mend and things are looking good.
My job has been kept open, my employer has done everything they can to help me out so far and been very supportive (I work for a Uuniversity). I was paid full pay for 4 months and half pay for 4 months and unfortunately now I am not getting paid at all. I have also used up all my SSP and am entitled to Incapacity Benefit apparently. This was the case as of October but due to me using the online system to apply for it (and being told a few weeks ago didn't work, how helpful) and being in hospital right up until after New Year, this has only just gone through.
I am over my overdraft and last months payments for pretty much everything bounced. I have several creditors, a couple of loans and a couple of credit cards, who are now starting to shout quite loudly. I have spoken to most of them now asking for a bit of breathing space with varying levels of success. Some are very helpful and some aren't very interested.
My bank, HSBC were the least helpful of anybody. I went in to the local branch after finding that you can't phone your local branch only a call centre, to be told they couldn't do anything at that level and to speak to their Debt Counselling service. I phoned them today and spoke to a foreign based call centre and a lady who had trouble understanding simple English. Her advice when I told her I was off work sick and not being paid was to, and I quote "get a part time job". I was absolutely fuming.
I am hoping to return to work within 3-4 months once my recovery is on track propely, the specialists advised me that 6 months from the transplant was the time to expect to return but due to some complications I'm thinking it might be a bit longer. I'm seeing the doctors again tomorrow so will try and find out a bit more, but unfortunately it's one of those things that might be hard to put a date on at this stage.
What I need is some help and breathing space in the mean time, but I'm finding it hard to work out how I get this. The benefits I'm receiving are next to nothing, especially when I've got commitments that usually rely on my usual income.
Any advice would be great, I'm currently feeling very stressed and worried about this, and it's doing my health no favours at all
Thanks,
Mark.
Having some issues at the moment in general and looking for a bit of advice. I've been told to contact the CAB but several people now have told me they're not that useful, which isn't very encouraging.
Basically I've been off work since April with relapsed Leukaemia, I've now had treatment consisting of several rounds of chemotherapy and in November I had a Bone Marrow Transplant which I spent a couple of months in hospital for. Slowly I'm on the mend and things are looking good.
My job has been kept open, my employer has done everything they can to help me out so far and been very supportive (I work for a Uuniversity). I was paid full pay for 4 months and half pay for 4 months and unfortunately now I am not getting paid at all. I have also used up all my SSP and am entitled to Incapacity Benefit apparently. This was the case as of October but due to me using the online system to apply for it (and being told a few weeks ago didn't work, how helpful) and being in hospital right up until after New Year, this has only just gone through.
I am over my overdraft and last months payments for pretty much everything bounced. I have several creditors, a couple of loans and a couple of credit cards, who are now starting to shout quite loudly. I have spoken to most of them now asking for a bit of breathing space with varying levels of success. Some are very helpful and some aren't very interested.
My bank, HSBC were the least helpful of anybody. I went in to the local branch after finding that you can't phone your local branch only a call centre, to be told they couldn't do anything at that level and to speak to their Debt Counselling service. I phoned them today and spoke to a foreign based call centre and a lady who had trouble understanding simple English. Her advice when I told her I was off work sick and not being paid was to, and I quote "get a part time job". I was absolutely fuming.
I am hoping to return to work within 3-4 months once my recovery is on track propely, the specialists advised me that 6 months from the transplant was the time to expect to return but due to some complications I'm thinking it might be a bit longer. I'm seeing the doctors again tomorrow so will try and find out a bit more, but unfortunately it's one of those things that might be hard to put a date on at this stage.
What I need is some help and breathing space in the mean time, but I'm finding it hard to work out how I get this. The benefits I'm receiving are next to nothing, especially when I've got commitments that usually rely on my usual income.
Any advice would be great, I'm currently feeling very stressed and worried about this, and it's doing my health no favours at all
Thanks,
Mark.
I'll phone the DWP tomorrow just in case there's time to change the bank account over, worth a try I guess though I think they said when I spoke to them that the instruction had already been sent. We'll see. 
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