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Lung CancerArrow
Aged 51-60
Interview LC28  

Interview LC28

Age at Interview: 58
Sex: Male
Age at Diagnosis: 55
Background: Fire-fighter (retired), divorced, 2 children.
Brief outline:Diagnosed with lung cancer in 2000, followed by pneumonectomy (right lung removed) in April 2000.


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He obtained Disability Living Allowance (Mobility component) after an appeal to a tribunal.

 



Yeah, financially I wasn't too bad because I have my pension from the Fire Service but I did initially apply for a Disability Allowance and initially I was, they send you a book out and it's about eighteen pages of all so stupid questions, and I applied for it and was turned down. And then probably the following year I was told by somebody that had got a Disability [benifit], that I should be getting it because I was worse than them. So I applied for it again and I was turned down. I then asked them to re-look at it, they did do and I was turned down again. So I finally took them to a tribunal. When I got to the tribunal I was awarded it by every member of the tribunal and it was backdated a whole year. So I was quite lucky but there's an awful lot of people out there miss out on benefits because they don't apply for them at the right time. As soon as you're told that you have lung cancer you should apply for your benefits, and hopefully you should get them straight away if you apply. Because when you're initially told; it is life threatening and you should get it instantly. I mean if you've, like with me I've never been out of work in my life, I've paid into the system all my life and then just to be told you're not entitled to it

What's that benefit called, Disability Benefit?

It's, I actually get Disability Living Allowance on the Mobility side of to help me, it helps me pay for my car so that I can go shopping. I live on my own so I have to do my own shopping for obvious reasons. Now I couldn't go to the local shops and carry my shopping back without my car, I just could not do it, I would pass out through lack of breath.

And that's a Government benefit is it?

And that's a Government benefit yeah Disability Living Allowance, I get the Mobility side of it which helps me financially pay for the car.
Karol Sikora - Lung cancer
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