During treatment, some people may try to continue to work, but may need to take a few days or weeks off. This may be as one period of sick time, or could be a few days every month for a period of time.

Some people choose to stop working throughout their treatment, which could be a period of weeks, months or even years. When deciding whether you want to carry on working or whether you would like to take the whole time off sick, you may like to think about the issues here and also the financial considerations in going back to work.

It is helpful to contact an independent financial adviser (IFA) to get advice on your financial options. IFAs can assess your individual situation and recommend the best course of action. You can find a local IFA by referral from family or friends, looking in your phone book, or by contacting the Society of Financial Advisers or IFA Promotions.

If you have any private insurance cover for income replacement; life insurance; loan or mortgage protection or critical illness cover, you should speak to your insurance company or financial adviser as soon as possible. You can get advice from your insurer or financial adviser about any conditions which apply to your life insurance or pension plans, such as being able to take a break from payments or a waiver of premium. A waiver of premium benefit means that the insurance company will pay the premium for you for a set period of time (eg until you are fit to work or until the end of the policy).

All employees who earn enough money to pay national insurance contributions are eligible to receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if they are off sick for more than four days, for a maximum period of 28 weeks. The payment is made by the employer on behalf of the government. The employer can then claim a contribution towards the payment, which is deducted from the payment of national insurance contributions. Some companies pay more than the basic rate of statutory sick pay and this is known as occupational sick pay. (Information for self-employed people is on the left)

SSP starts when you have been off work for four days and continues until you either return to or leave work, or until the end of the 28-week period. You should receive a form SSP1 (Statutory Sick Pay Leavers Statement) from the Department for Work and Pensions at the end of the 28-week period or when you leave work. This will explain that your SSP is finishing and invite you to transfer to Incapacity Benefit.

Periods of SSP payment linked by less than eight weeks (56 days) are considered to be the same period of absence – in other words you need to be back at work for over eight weeks before you can claim again for the full 28 weeks of SSP.

You may also be entitled to occupational sick pay. This will be detailed in your contract of employment/staff handbook or you could ask your human resources department for further information. Occupational sick pay is usually paid as a top up to SSP (ie you don’t get both, but SSP becomes a part of your occupational sick pay).

Sick certificate

If you are ill and not able to work for more than a few days, remember to ask your GP for a medical certificate to cover the period of your illness. If you are in hospital, ask your doctor or nurse for a certificate to cover the time that you are an in-patient. This will be necessary if you need to claim a benefit. You may need to take a medical test to assess if you are eligible to claim.

If you are still unable to work after receiving SSP for 28 weeks, or your contract ends before that time and you are still unable to work, you may be able to claim Incapacity Benefit. There are three rates of Incapacity Benefit: a short-term lower rate, a short-term higher rate and a long-term rate. The rate you receive depends on the length of time you have been unable to work.

People who are unemployed and unable to work cannot claim Job Seeker’s Allowance but can apply for the short-term lower rate of Incapacity Benefit. To qualify for Incapacity Benefit you must have paid enough National Insurance contributions in the three years prior to your claim.

People who are not eligible for Incapacity Benefit because they have not paid the relevant national insurance contributions can apply for Income Support.

If you need help with personal care, you may qualify for Disability Living Allowance (if you are under 65) or for Attendance Allowance (if you are over 65). People under 65 can also claim Disability Living Allowance if they have mobility problems. Ask your local Department for Work and Pensions office for claim forms or call the Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 882200.

Some people need to claim money quickly and there is a fast-track claim system for people who may not live longer than six months. People who are claiming under this ‘special rule’ need to get their doctor to complete a form for either benefit. It is impossible to tell exactly how long someone may live and many people with advanced cancer may be entitled to this benefit, so it can be helpful to check with your doctor if this may apply to you. Payments made under special rules are for a fixed period of three years.

If you have a dispute over a benefit claim, a specialist welfare rights solicitors can advise you – the Legal Services Commission can give you details of specialist solicitors. You could also contact your local Law Centre or Citizens Advice Bureau.

All life assurance, critical illness insurance and occupational pensions schemes have different rules and operate in different ways. It is important to get independent financial advice to find out about the policies you may have. You may also need advice about income from such policies: for example, to decide whether you should use a payout from an insurance claim or from severance of your employment to pay a lump sum off your mortgage.

Life assurance policies

If you already have an existing life insurance policy and can't continue to pay your premiums you can find out if a waiver of premium applies to the plan. This means that the insurance company will pay the policy premium for you, for a time, if you are ill and unable to work. Different companies have different policies and the time they will pay the premiums may vary. They may pay until you are fit to work or until the end of the policy.

If you need money urgently, you could talk to an independent financial adviser about your options.

For example, you may be able to:

• take out a loan against your life insurance policy
• make the policy ‘paid-up’, that is, stop paying the premiums but be paid out a smaller sum when the policy matures
• sell the policy − there are firms who buy life assurance policies
• surrender the policy − make sure you get a written quote of the surrender value.

However, it is important to know that you may find it impossible to take out a new life insurance policy for a few years after you have had cancer.

Occupational pensions

If you are paying into an occupational pension scheme, or are considering paying into one, always make sure that you have information about the scheme − your trade union representative or pension scheme’s trustee will be able to help.

You have the right to leave or decide not to join a scheme, but always consider the implications very carefully and take advice from an independent financial adviser before you make a decision.

If you leave one job to go to another, there are several ways your pension rights may be dealt with. You may be able to:

• get a cash refund
• have your pension ‘paid’ up, that is stop paying the premiums but be paid out a smaller sum when the policy matures
• transfer to a new occupational scheme
• buy an annuity or insurance policy
• invest in a personal pension plan.

If you have had a temporary interruption of work due to sickness, find out how your pension scheme treats periods of sick leave. There can be variations in the conditions − for example, some employees get sick pay from their employer through their scheme: this might affect your pension entitlement. If an employee is off work sick, and is not paid any sick pay, they may still be entitled to stay in the pension scheme, as long as they remain employed.

The Benefits Agency has two booklets (IB1 and SD1) which outline all the benefits that you may be entitled to. You can get a copy from your local Citizens Advice Bureau or Jobcentre Plus office, where staff will also be able to advise you about the benefits you can claim. Their addresses and telephone numbers are in the phone book. You can also get information from the Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 882200, the Department for Work and Pensions website at www.dwp.gov.uk or the Macmillan Benefits Helpline.

The Benefit Enquiry Line has some advisers who speak other languages and can also arrange to give its information through interpreters. Benefit information in other languages is available on the Department for Work and Pensions website at www.dwp.gov.uk/otherlanguages

The social worker at the hospital can give you advice on sources of financial help. You may also be able to claim grants and benefits from other organisations or charities. Macmillan Cancer Support gives grants to people with cancer and they have a financial advice helpline.

• Download the booklet 'Help With the Cost of Cancer' (PDF document, 990KB) or order a copy from the main Macmillan website.

A book that gives details of all the trusts and organisations that provide financial support is available from bookshops or local libraries:

• A Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need 2006/2007. A. French, G. Lynch and R. Ryland. Directory of Social Change. ISBN 978-1-903991-74-9. Priced: £34.95.

Remember that a change in your circumstances (such as a reduction or increase in your salary or in the number of hours you work) can mean you are entitled to more or less benefit. So, it is necessary for you to find out in detail the regulations and conditions that apply to your benefits.