Scottish cancer patients urged to apply for disability benefits

Charity joins Scottish Government to raise awareness of support

A cancer charity has joined forces with the Scottish Government to urge people with cancer to check if they could be eligible for disability benefits.  

Cancer Card Scotland founder Jen Hardy MBE and Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Shirley-Anne Somerville, want people with cancer to ensure they're getting the money they could be entitled to.

Both Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment are available in Scotland to help cover the extra costs of being disabled, having a long-term health condition or being terminally ill.

Importantly, Social Security Scotland fast tracks applications for disability payments from people who are terminally ill. A decision can take as little as 48 hours.

For people with cancer, who are applying under the standard rules, there is a qualifying period before they can be eligible.

Jen, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, set up Cancer Card Scotland as an online hub where people with cancer could find out about all the support available to them.

Sharing her experience of applying for benefits after her diagnosis, Jen said:

“There is a perception that to get disability benefits someone needs to have a physical disability that is there all the time, but that's not the case. 

“Cancer can have a substantial and long-term effect on someone's ability to do normal daily activities. It affects you not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. For most people, how they feel and the level of help they need changes. 

“For example, every three weeks I have an infusion of life-extending Herceptin, which takes three or four hours. It's exhausting and I get so tired I can't move.  

“Without my Blue Badge and my Adult Disability Payment I couldn't do half the things I do. I want people with cancer to know that it's okay to get financial support and it's okay to apply for Child Disability Payment or Adult Disability Payment. 

“Everyone needs help at some point in their life.”

Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, said: 

“Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment are there to help cover the extra costs that come with being disabled or having a long-term health condition such as cancer. Getting a cancer diagnosis is difficult enough without worrying about bills. This is money people are entitled to and I urge everyone who is eligible to apply for support.

“Many people with cancer have spoken about how attending appointments and getting treatment can be a full-time job. That's why we fast track applications from people diagnosed with terminal cancer so that they can get the support they need as quickly as possible.

“Social Security Scotland can help people apply for these payments either over the phone or face-to-face in a location that suits them.

“We also fund independent advocacy service Voiceability to provide help to disabled people applying for Scottish benefits.”

More information on eligibility and how to apply is available via the MyGov.scot website.

Notes to editors

Background 

Social Security Scotland provides Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment to help cover the extra costs disabled people may have.

Child Disability Payment was the first of the three complex disability benefits to be introduced by the Scottish Government to replace UK disability benefits in Scotland.

Adult Disability Payment was introduced in 2022, and regulations to introduce Pension Age Disability Payment in Autumn this year have been approved by Scottish Parliament.

Under the normal rules, people applying for Child and Adult Disability Payment need to have had their level of needs for a certain period of time before eligibility would start. However, they can still apply during this period. They also need to be likely to continue to have the level of needs for a period of time going forward. This is because Child and Adult Disability Payment are intended to support disabled people and those with long term health conditions.

This qualifying period does not apply to people with a terminal illness.

Social Security Scotland fast tracks applications for disability payments from people who are terminally ill. A decision can take as little as 48 hours but this needs a Special Rules for Terminal Illness application form to have been completed. A registered nurse, or registered medical practitioner, also needs to confirm to Social Security Scotland that the person is terminally ill.

This confirmation is provided using a Benefits Assessment under Special Rules in Scotland (BASRiS) form. This is the Scottish version of the SR1 form from the Department for Work and Pensions (previously the DS1500 form).

To find out more visit mygov.scot/benefits  or call 0800 182 2222. 

Cancer Card Scotland is an online directory of help and support for people who have cancer, their partners, family, friends and employers. It is a charity whose goal is to help people find the support they need when cancer affects their life. The services available include: help with money, benefits, transport and complementary therapies.

Cancer Card Scotland also offers a free digital helpline for people in the UK with cancer. The helpline provides support with using digital devices like computers, smartphones and the internet. Digital devices can also be provided free to those who don't have one. Call 0345 222 0333 and mention ‘Cancer Card' to use the service. The phone line is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.