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AFTER CANCER: SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS. MEDICAL AND LIFE INSURANCE
Social Security Benefits
If you are unable to work in the short term, in the longer term or not at all because of your illness, you may be eligible for Social Security benefits. These benefits apply under the category of “Income Security for People with Disabilities and the Sick”.
The aim of the benefits is to ensure that people who are sick, and those caring for them, receive adequate and secure income support. Payments you may be eligible for include
• Disability Support Pension: for anyone over 16 years of age and under aged pension who has a physical, intellectual or psychiatric impairment of at least 40 per cent and who is unable to work for at least the next 2 years as a result of that impairment, and is unable as a result of that impairment to undertake vocational training which would equip them for work within the next 2 years.
• Disability Wage Supplement: same qualification requirements for Disability Support Pension, plus the person must also be participating in the supported wage system as advised by the Department of Health and Family Services. Once granted, the ‘inability to work’ condition no longer applies.
• Carer Pension: for anyone providing full-time care to a person who has a physical, intellectual or psychiatric disability, and who needs care permanently or for an extended period. The carer must live with the person being cared for or in an adjacent home and must not be receiving another income support payment.
• Sickness Allowance: for anyone who is temporarily incapacitated for work and who has suffered a loss of income as a result of that illness or injury. The claimant must also have a medical certificate from a qualified medical practitioner. Sickness Allowance is paid for a maximum of 12 months and can be extended for another 12 months in certain circumstances.
In addition to these basic payments, you may be entitled to a range of subsidiary payments (e.g. Rent Assistance, Telephone Allowance, Pharmaceutical Allowance, Remote Area Allowance).
In order to claim for these benefits or to obtain further information about conditions and eligibility, contact the Social Security Department’s TeleService Centre. Claims should be lodged as soon as possible after your diagnosis.
In most cases, to qualify for any of these benefits you must be aged 16 or over and not have reached age pension age. You must also be an Australian citizen or a permanent legal resident of Australia and be in Australia when claiming and receiving the benefit.
Medical and life insurance
Medical and life insurance is a more complex issue. There are many different policies on the market which provide cover for people with “critical illnesses”. You should shop around for the package that best suits your needs.
It is important to keep in mind that some of the private medical insurance policies may not cover you for services and expenses that may be covered by Medicare (e.g. prostheses for women who have had breast cancer). This may affect your decision about whether to seek private or public medical care. Call the Medicare Enquiries line for information on what services are covered by Medicare and the level of coverage.
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