Applying for benefits after a brain tumour diagnosis

You might be able to claim benefits if you’ve been diagnosed with a brain tumour. But, this process can be confusing. These tips could help you be more successful when you apply for benefits after a brain tumour diagnosis.

It can be really difficult to know where to start when thinking about claiming benefits after a brain tumour diagnosis. So, we’ve put together this information to help direct you through this process and understand what to do next.

Our Benefits and Money Adviser has also written about Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in more detail.

On this page:

What benefits can I claim with a brain tumour in the UK?
How do I claim benefits after a brain tumour diagnosis?
Tips for claiming benefits

What benefits can I claim with a brain tumour in the UK?

The benefits that you might be able to claim depend on your personal situation.

Some of the benefits available to people affected by a brain tumour include financial benefits, living benefits and benefits for parents or guardians.

These benefits are:

Possible financial benefits

Personal independence payment (PIP)
Statutory sick pay (SSP),
Bereavement support payments (BSP),
Prescription prepayment certificate (PPC)
Access to work grants,
New style employment and support allowance (ESA)
New style job seekers allowance (JSA)
Carers credit (CC)

Possible living benefits

Housing benefit (HB)
Council tax reduction (CTR)
Universal credit (UC)

Possible benefits for parents or guardians

Disability living allowance (DLA) for children
Parental bereavement pay
Parental bereavement leave

To find out more about which benefits you might be able to claim if you’re affected by a brain tumour, use our online benefits checker. This takes your circumstances into account and gives you a more personalised idea of your options.

Go to online benefits checker

How do I claim benefits after a brain tumour diagnosis?

To make your claim, call the claim line(s) for the benefit(s) you are claiming. Then organise for your doctor (or consultant) to send a short medical report called a SR1 form.

You don’t have to see your doctor to get the report – a nurse or the doctor’s receptionist can arrange for the report to be issued, and it is free. You then post the report to the DWP in England, Scotland and Wales or the Disability and Carers Service (DCS) in Northern Ireland.

Healthcare professionals in England or Scotland can access and complete a SR1 form online, using the Digital SR1 Service. This means the report arrives at the DWP in real time, which cuts down your waiting time.

This might not be available in all areas of the UK, so ask if your doctor has access to this service.

Tips for claiming benefits

1. Understand what you’re eligible for

The benefits system can be overwhelming, especially if you’re not familiar with it. So, a good place to start is finding out what you might be able to claim.

Our website has lots of information about the different types of benefits and could be useful in better understanding what you may be eligible for.

You can also use our online benefits checker tool to find out which benefits you might be able to claim.

You may also want to book an appointment for our Benefits and Money Clinic to get a more personalised understanding of what you’re entitled to, as well as help with filling in applications.

Our experienced Benefits and Money Advisor providing advice over the phone to someone affected by a brain tumour

Expert benefits & money advice

Our Benefits and Money clinic has helped over 1100 people claim more than £4 million in benefits since it started in 2016!

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2. Take your time with the forms

Once you’ve decided what you’re eligible for and start to fill in the forms, remember to take your time! Think carefully before you apply – you may be entitled to this benefit, but by going through the forms too quickly you might miss the right points or write something down wrong and end up being turned down.

3. Ask for help

There are a lot of resources out there to help you with each step of applying for benefits, so don’t be afraid to reach out. You can book an appointment with our Money and Benefits Advice clinic to speak to our adviser who will talk you through what you can apply for and how to do it, and help you complete the forms.

You could also approach your local Citizens Advice, your Clinical Nurse Specialist, or even simply a friend or family member who has a bit of time to look at this with you. Don’t forget about our Support team, who are also on hand to help you each step of the way.

Seek free advice as soon as possible. Particularly if there are debt issues; before they get out of control.

4. Talk to other people in a similar position

Although a brain tumour diagnosis can feel isolating, you’re not alone in this. There’s a whole community of people going through similar things to you, many of whom have experience in coping with the impact on finances and applying for benefits. It can be really helpful to talk to others who have been through this process and to get advice and tips from their personal experience.

5. Be honest about your limitations

It can be difficult to think about how your diagnosis has affected you and sometimes we have a tendency to ‘play down’ our limitations. Or, you might have found a ‘solution’ to the difficulties you face, but this very solution could indicate your eligibility for certain benefits. For example, buying pre-prepared vegetables because you get too tired preparing them yourself, or needing someone to be in the house when you have a bath.

Remember that the Department of Work and Pensions will accept everything you say at face value – they won’t question what they’re being told. It’s up to you to be open about your difficulties and your illness.

Consider asking someone for help – it can be hard to think about your own difficulties: I wasn’t comfortable writing down “my stuff” and what I did write down wasn’t a true reflection of my abilities. A friend of mine has written a letter to be presented to PIP in my dispute for help … I’d never seen my situation written down, and so frankly it was actually a very honest account of the way I’m now living my life.

6. Don’t be embarrassed to apply for benefits

We know that, for one reason or another, people will have their own opinions on applying for benefits – which can often hold people back from applying. First and foremost, there’s absolutely no shame in applying for benefits, and we’d really urge anyone and everyone to consider what they’re eligible for.

Most of us are paying a small amount of money through national insurance so that, at times when something has gone seriously wrong, you can claim back support when you need it. You’re essentially insuring yourself against an inability to work – it’s no different from insuring your property against problems like fire or burglary.
Denise, our Benefits and Money Adviser

7. You always have the opportunity to appeal

If you’ve applied for a benefit and been turned down – don’t give up! We know this can be really disheartening, but unfortunately it does happen. However, this is why there’s an appeals system and it’s important that you access this if you feel the decision made is the wrong one.

For example, if you get refused when applying for PIP, you can ask for a mandatory reconsideration. Be mindful that mandatory reconsiderations very rarely change the decision. This is because it simply means the Department of Work and Pensions will have someone else look at the original assessment, but if this was incorrect or an inaccurate representation of your situation, the reviewer will almost certainly agree with the original decision. However, this isn’t the end of your options, as you can now enter the appeal process.

We’d always recommend that you get advice on the appeal process – even if it’s just to understand how it works. Our Benefits and Money Adviser can talk you through the appeals process and how you can best approach it.

If you have further questions, need to clarify any of the information on this page, or want to find out more about research and clinical trials, please contact our team: