Many people choose not to work during their treatment. Going back to work after a break of a few weeks or months can be a very difficult situation. You may feel that you are able to go back to your old job, but may feel very nervous. It is common for people to feel awkward and to wonder if they will still be able to do the job. However, for some people going back to work can be a sign that the cancer is over and that they can get back to a normal life again.

When you go back it is helpful to have a meeting with your employer, human resources department or occupational health staff. If you are still coping with some of the effects of cancer treatment, you can discuss any changes that can be made to your work to help you. If your workplace has an occupational health advisor, your manager can arrange for you to see them and agree a ‘return to work’ plan. The advisor can see you from time to time until you are fully back at work.

If you feel that things have moved on while you were away, you can say this, and ask for time or training to catch up with the developments.

If you feel that you cannot cope with your old job and would like to reduce your hours (go part-time) or need to change your job description, you should discuss this with your employer or the human resource manager as soon as possible. They should be willing to be flexible about your work arrangements to allow you to go on working as much as you can.

If you are considering going back to work after treatment, it is important to think about the following:

• The option of full-time or part-time work. Look at how much income you need to cover your monthly outgoings.
• You may have had your mortgage, bank loan or credit agreement being paid by an insurance policy while you were ill. This will end when you go back to work, so remember to include this in your calculations.
• If you have been out of work for a long time you may have financial problems and possibly be in debt. The National Debtline can give you advice www.nationaldebtline.co.uk.
• You can keep claiming some benefits even when you go back to work, however, others will stop. For example, you might still be able to receive Disability Living Allowance while working, but Incapacity Benefit could be affected.
• There are ‘top-up benefits’ for people on low income, especially for part-time workers: for example, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and Council Tax rebate.
• Help is available for self-employed people or people who want to be self-employed – contact your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau or the Department for Work and Pensions.
• Do you have income from occupational pensions, private pensions, life assurance – can you freeze a pension, transfer a pension or cash-in a pension?
• It may be helpful to contact an independent financial adviser

If you want to go back to work after some time away and you have been claiming benefits, there are options you will need to consider. Factors other than financial ones that may affect your decision are covered elsewhere in this section.

It is important to realise that there are many issues to take into account when assessing benefits and so it is only possible to give general information here. Each person’s entitlement has conditions specific to their situation, taking into account age, savings, income, hours worked, number of people in the family, childcare costs, and housing costs. Some benefits automatically entitle you to other benefits. It is possible to be eligible for more than one benefit (such as Income Support and Working Tax Credit) but not both at the same time.

It is essential that you take advice from an independent benefits adviser, such as a Citizens Advice Bureau or welfare rights worker. You can check if there is a benefits adviser in the social work department at the hospital you attend.

You should check out your entitlement to benefits and tax credits to work out whether your income will be higher with these or if you go back to work. You will need to know:

• if you will be better off financially
• if savings affect your eligibility for certain benefits
• how much you would need to earn to compensate for the loss of benefits you may be receiving at present
• how the number of hours you work will affect your eligibility for certain benefits
• how claiming a different benefit would affect your situation
• who should make the claim for benefit if you are living with a partner. There could be occasions when it is beneficial for one partner rather than the other to claim.
  

Disability Living Allowance (care and mobility components) and Attendance Allowance are both payable whether or not you are working. Eligibility for both allowances depends on your care needs (care component) and/or your inability to walk (mobility component). If your walking improves and/or you need less help with personal care, this could affect your entitlement to Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance. The Department for Work and Pensions may re-assess the rate you are being paid.

The mobility component of the allowance allows you an exemption from road tax and entitles you to a Blue Badge parking concession. You can also use the higher rate of the component to buy or lease a car under the Motability Scheme.

Prescription charges

If you are entitled to free prescriptions on medical grounds, you can continue with this exemption even if you go back to work.

If you need a lot of prescriptions but can't get them free, you may consider buying a pre-payment certificate for four months or for 12 months. You save money if you need more than five prescriptions items in four months or 14 items in 12 months.

Council Tax reduction

You can claim a reduction of your Council Tax if you have special provisions for the disabled in your home.  Benefits that can top-up a low income:

• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Income Support
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Benefit
• Pension Credit
• Educational Maintenance Allowance
• Free School Meals
• School Clothing
• Help with NHS costs, prescriptions, hospital fares, dental/eye treatment
  

If you are receiving Incapacity Benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions, this will stop if you go back to work.It is important to review your situation after a few weeks. If you are finding it difficult to continue to work, you can re-qualify for Incapacity Benefit at the same rate and on the same basis as before, if you make a fresh claim within 56 days. If you leave it longer, the benefit will be paid at the short-term lower rate.

Welfare to Work

If you were unable to work for more than 28 weeks and your entitlement to benefit stopped because you are now able to work and if within a week you then started work or a training scheme, you may qualify for a 52-week benefit protection. This means your entitlement to benefit is protected if you have to make a further claim for benefit within 52 weeks. So, if you need to claim again you would go back to the level of benefit you were receiving before you went back to work, rather than starting a new claim.

There are, however, certain very specific conditions for this scheme. Your local Jobcentre Plus can give you information.

Permitted Work

If you are claiming Incapacity Benefit or Income Support, these are paid on the basis that you are unable to work. However, if certain rules are followed, you can take up limited work without your benefits being affected. This is known as permitted work. It used to be called therapeutic work. There are several categories of permitted work. You can only work under one category at a time.

• Permitted work lower limit – you can earn no more than £20 a week
• Supported permitted work – supervised work but you can earn no more than £81 a week
• Permitted work higher limit – you can work for up to 16 hours a week, earn no more than £81 a week, and work for only 26 weeks.

If you start permitted work, your Incapacity Benefit will not be affected but Income Support, Housing and Council Tax Benefit may be affected. This is because these benefits take earnings into account, so you must tell the Department for Work and Pensions.

Take advice from the Department for Work and Pensions for details of the Permitted Work schemes and your local job centre for details of all their Back-to-Work schemes.