Recipient Support Options

Rally for a Cause is only a small part of our community, and there are a lot of fantastic services and supports available. 

Accommodation Assistance

Cancer Council

Cancer council Queensland provides accommodation for regional cancer patients and their carers when they need to travel for treatment.

Ronald McDonald House

Ronald McDonald House provides accommodation for families from regional areas, interstate and overseas. The length of stay can be from 1 night to months and years. Visit Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia for more information.

Accommodation Subsidy 

An accommodation and travel subsidy may be available from your local hospital through the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme (PTSS) if it is medically necessary for you to escort your relative while in hospital.

An escort is someone who accompanies the patient when travelling to access specialist medical treatment. This can be to assist them in their treatment, as an active carer or if the patient is impaired. An escort must be 18 years or older. Learn more about escort subsidies.

If your relative doesn’t need emergency admission, you will need to get approval for the subsidy before you travel.

Contact the patient travel office at your local hospital to discuss eligibility and the application process.

If admitted unexpectedly, a retrospective (past) PTSS application can be submitted. Learn more about retrospective applications.

 

Transport assistance

You or your loved one may be eligible for a range of services that assist with transportation:

 Financial Supports

Getting your super early

You can only get your super before you reach your preservation age in very limited circumstances. For example:

  • Incapacity — if you're unable to work or need to work fewer hours because of a medical condition.
  • Severe financial hardship — if you can't meet your living expenses and have been receiving Commonwealth benefits for 26 weeks.
  • Compassionate grounds — to pay for unpaid expenses. These could include medical treatment, modifying your home or vehicle because of a severe disability, funeral expenses, or a loan repayment to prevent you losing your home.
  • Terminal medical condition — if you have a terminal illness or injury.

The ATO has more information about accessing your super early. 

 

Mortgage Payment Options 

Contact your lender about financial hardship

All lenders have hardship teams ready to help customers in tough times.

Talk to your lender to discuss your options. You may be able change the terms of your loan, or temporarily pause or reduce your repayments. This is called a hardship variation.

Apply for a hardship variation

  1. Contact your lender's 'hardship officer'.
  2. Give the details of your loan (account name and number, and the amount you pay each fortnight or month).
  3. Say that you want to change your loan repayments because you are experiencing hardship.
  4. Explain why you are having difficulties making payments. Tell them how long you think your financial problems will continue and how much you can afford to repay.

Your lender must write to you within 21 days to let you know the outcome of your hardship request. If they ask you for more information, they must respond within 21 days from when you provide it.

 

Home Energy Emergency Assistance Scheme

The Home Energy Emergency Assistance Scheme:

  • is for Queensland households experiencing problems paying their electricity or reticulated natural gas bills as a result of an unforeseen emergency or a short-term financial crisis that has occurred within the past 12 months.
  • is a one-off emergency assistance to help with paying your home energy bills
  • pays up to $720 once every 2 years.

https://www.qld.gov.au/community/cost-of-living-support/concessions/energy-concessions/home-energy-emergency-assistance-scheme

Medical Heating and Cooling Subsidy

The Medical Cooling and Heating Electricity Concession Scheme helps with electricity costs for people who have a chronic medical condition, such as multiple sclerosis, autonomic system dysfunction, significant burns or a severe inflammatory skin condition, which is aggravated by changes in temperature. It currently provides $479.03 (including GST) per year to eligible applicants (eligibility is reviewed every two years). https://www.qld.gov.au/community/cost-of-living-support/concessions/medical-concessions/medical-cooling-heating-electricity-concession-scheme

 

Electricity Life Support

The Queensland Government provides an electricity life support concession for eligible people who are seriously ill and use a home-based oxygen concentrator or kidney dialysis machine.

This concession is to contribute to the electricity cost of running these machines. https://www.qld.gov.au/community/cost-of-living-support/concessions/medical-concessions/electricity-life-support

 

 

Emotional Supports

Humankind aims to support people living with chronic illness and their loved ones to achieve positive and respectful relationships. https://www.humankind-relationships.com.au/

 

The Carer Gateway Counselling Service is a free service for carers. Each weekday, from 8am to 6pm, our professional counsellors are waiting to talk through the concerns you have and how you feel about your carer role. https://counselling.carergateway.gov.au/s/

Find more information about:

Tips for returning to work

  • Plan how and who to tell about your work arrangements.
  • Give your work as much notice as possible if you need to take leave.
  • Explore options for part-time work or flexible hours.
  • Ask for leave before you feel tired or burnt out.
  • Keep records of your work hours
  • Keep records of discussions or correspondence with your supervisor or manager.

How do I manage my life with a long-term illness?

Chronic illnesses, both physical and mental, can affect the way you live. It can be a financial burden if you are unwell, or if you are caring for someone with an illness.

Depending on where you live, you may be able to get assistance with childcare, meals, and general home help.

If you have a long-term illness, you may have access to assistance with living expenses, such as:

  • child disability assistance payment
  • disability support pension
  • mobility allowance
  • rent assistance
  • telephone allowance

If you care for someone with a chronic illness, you may be eligible for financial assistance. This may include a carer allowance.

More information can be found on the Services Australia website.

How do I manage my finances with a long-term illness?

If you are diagnosed with a long-term illness, it is a good idea to plan your budget early.

You can talk to a trained financial advisor about your options for managing treatment costs, which can include:

  • accessing your superannuation early
  • accessing insurance payments

More information

Sources of support include:

  • financial planner or financial counsellor
  • Centrelink
  • church/religious or volunteer groups
  • Department of Veterans' Affairs
  • meals-on-wheels
  • occupational therapist for practical advice and aids
  • palliative care team to help with pain
  • physiotherapist to help with mobility and exercises
  • private nursing agencies
  • social worker at your hospital
  • your community/district nurse
  • your GP
  • your local council

You can also find financial resources and assistance specific for your illness. You may contact different organisations about support for:

Angel Families

Angel Families was established in 2022 on the Fraser Coast in response to a lack of support services provided to families that have excruciatingly experienced the loss of a child (21 and under). We are a community of people who have been brought together by tragic loss and lived experience. A community of mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters who we can sit with through the bad days, remember on the good days and support through the days still to come.

Angel Families Support Group

 

Are students at your school impacted by cancer?

 
Our free Cancer Education Program visits primary schools and education and care services across Australia. The Camp Quality Puppets deliver interactive, age-appropriate cancer education for children who are facing their own cancer diagnosis, or the diagnosis of a sibling, parent, carer, grandparent or friend.
The program opens conversations about cancer within the school community, which is proven to decrease bullying, absenteeism, and mental health issues.

 

MORE SUPPORT OPTIONS:

 

Little Lime Book: Click to see Resources 

       

Cancer Council Queensland

         https://cancerqld.org.au/index.php

 

        Childhood Cancer Support

        https://www.ccs.org.au/

 

         Advanced Breast Cancer Group

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