Money Matters
Intended Audience
For all members including people living with cancer, family members and significant caregivers. By appointment, in person or by phone.
Program Description
Money Matters is a solution-based program designed to assist people with cancer and their family members with information and resources related to various topics including: income replacement programs, drug coverage, returning to work, insurance questions, community resources, estate information, etc. The program also offers free clinics, with individualized appointments on the topics of Financial Advice, Income Tax (annually), and LTD and Employment Law. There are eligibility requirements in accessing the free clinics so please contact us for more information.
Our Money Matters program is delivered by Social Workers, a profession that is regulated under the Health Professions Act (HPA) which allows us to only support people living in Alberta.
“Very helpful… finally received the answers I needed.”
“This session was very helpful to me. Staff were very knowledgeable and I found out lots of information as well as resources I will be able to use. Thank you!”
Benefits and Impact
- Money Matters staff meet Wellspring members through an initial consultation
(in person or over the phone) and work together on available options. - Discussion and consultation on suitable income replacement programs and assistance
with the complex forms that will need to be completed. - Screening for intake suitability for Financial Advice, LTD and Employment
Law and Income Tax (annually) clinics. - Ongoing support in handling complex situations that may change over time.
What to Expect at a Session
Upon registration for the Money Matters program, Wellspring members and/or their loved ones will meet individually with Money Matters staff who have specialty training in cancer-related costs and financial issues. Staff will then review the member’s circumstances, assess their eligibility for income replacement programs, and provide information on application processes, eligibility criteria, timelines and payment amounts. Further support with regard to providing financial guidance, establishing external connections, and/or providing referral information is also part of the Money Matters process.
What the Research Says
The economic burden of wage loss attributable to cancer is significant in Canada. For new cancer episodes in 2009, the estimated wage loss for patients, caregivers, and parents from analysis of direct surveys was $3.18 billion, and from analysis of the CCHS, it was $2.95 billion for immediate members of a household (Hopkins, R. B., Goeree, R., & Longo, C. J. (2010). Estimating the national wage loss from cancer in Canada.Current Oncology 17(2), 40-49).
60% of respondents indicated their income decreased in the 12 months following their diagnosis (Return to Work Concerns Faced by People Dealing
with Cancer and Caregivers, Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, April 2012).
FOR RELATED RESEARCH CLICK HERE:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20404977
Wellspring Alberta’s Money Matters program is generously supported by:
Michael and Heather Culbert & Family and Anonymous Donors.
