# Going back to work after lymphoma, and the money in the meantime

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/lymphoma-living-returning-to-work/  
OnCo record `lymphoma-living-returning-to-work` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Some people work through lymphoma treatment and some cannot, and the difference is mostly the job rather than the person. In the United Kingdom a cancer diagnosis brings protection from discrimination at work from the day it is made, and the benefits and sick pay rules are worth reading early rather than when the money runs out.

## Summary

**What the law gives you.** Lymphoma Action's work material points to the Equality Act and to reasonable adjustments as the two things to understand first: a cancer diagnosis is a disability under the Act from the point of diagnosis, which means an employer must consider adjustments such as changed or reduced hours, time off for appointments, different duties or a phased return. Macmillan's work and cancer material covers the same ground and includes what to say to an employer and when.

**The money.** GOV.UK sets out statutory sick pay, who qualifies and for how long, and the separate rules on taking sick leave and fit notes. Lymphoma Action's work session signposts New Style Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment and Adult Disability Payment in Scotland, council tax reduction, help with transport costs, help with health costs, Carer's Allowance and Carer's Credit, and grants from Macmillan and Turn2us. A benefits adviser at a Maggie's centre or a Macmillan line will go through the list with you; the charities exist partly because the list is long and nobody is given it at diagnosis.

**The return itself.** Lymphoma Action's recovery material treats going back to work as part of recovery rather than as its endpoint, and its follow-up page lists adjustment to life after treatment, including whether you have been able to return to what you did before, as one of the things a follow-up appointment is for. Fatigue is the commonest reason a return goes badly, and it is usually the reason a phased return is worth asking for even when you feel ready.

**For people who are self-employed, or on a zero-hours contract, or caring for someone else.** Statutory sick pay does not reach everyone, which is the practical reason to put the benefits conversation in the first month rather than the third. Lymphoma Action's helpline and Macmillan's support line will both do this on the phone.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-10-01
- Also known as: Lymphoma and employment; Sick pay during lymphoma treatment; Phased return after lymphoma

## Sources

- Lymphoma Action: lymphoma, work and you: https://lymphoma-action.org.uk/information-and-support/living-and-beyond-lymphoma/day-day-living/lymphoma-work-and-you
- Lymphoma Action: recovery after lymphoma treatment: https://lymphoma-action.org.uk/information-and-support/living-and-beyond-lymphoma/recovery-after-lymphoma-treatment
- Macmillan: work and cancer: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/work-and-cancer
- GOV.UK: statutory sick pay: https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay
- GOV.UK: taking sick leave: https://www.gov.uk/taking-sick-leave
- Maggie's: support and information: https://www.maggies.org/support-and-information/

## Connected records

- cancers: [Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome)](https://onco.cc/cancers/cutaneous-t-cell-lymphoma/), [Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/dlbcl/), [Follicular lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/follicular-lymphoma/), [Hodgkin lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/hodgkin-lymphoma/), [Mantle cell lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/mantle-cell-lymphoma/), [Marginal zone lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/marginal-zone-lymphoma/), [Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/non-hodgkin-lymphoma/), [Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (including cutaneous T-cell lymphoma)](https://onco.cc/cancers/peripheral-t-cell-lymphoma/), [Waldenström macroglobulinaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/waldenstrom/)
- technologies: [Financial toxicity and financial navigation](https://onco.cc/technologies/financial-navigation/), [Survivorship care and late-effects surveillance](https://onco.cc/technologies/survivorship-care-plan/)
- terms: [Cancer-related fatigue (tiredness)](https://onco.cc/terms/cancer-related-fatigue/), [Fatigue after lymphoma treatment, and why it is a symptom to report](https://onco.cc/terms/lymphoma-living-fatigue/), [Financial toxicity](https://onco.cc/terms/financial-toxicity/)

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