On March 10th 2011 after 18 months of believing my husband has had some sort of breakdown caused by excessive pressure at work he was finally diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's at the age of 56. As a family we are devastated, my husband is now unable to work or drive a car and is very depressed. On top of receiving this devastating news our financial situation is dire. Because my husband is not of pensionable age we do not seem to be able to get any help from anyone. We are unable to touch his pension until he reaches retirement age in the meantime we have bills to pay and no income other than benefits of £65 per week from the Dept of Work and Pensions. I am now the bread winner earning a small salary with a part time job. I will now be looking for full time work but I am worried as to how long I can work full time before I am unable to leave my husband on his own all day. Before my husband's breakdown/diagnosis he was earning a good salary, unfortunately due to his illness and being unable to work we have been living off savings for the last 18 months but not worried to much because we believed that my husband would eventually be fit again for work and be able to get back to earning a good salary. Our savings are now just about depleted the only asset we have left is our house which we are desperately trying to sell house but unable to do so because of current dire situation in the housing market. We are facing an extremely uncertain future unless I can get help from somewhere. I am trying to come to terms that my dear, young husband is going to deteriorate before my eyes and not having the financial security to keep us safe is leaving me at nearly breaking point. My husband feels as though he has failed us by not been able to support his family which is making him more depressed. I feel as though we have been sent home by the hospital with no hope and a packet of Aricept that possibly might help in giving my husband a bit more time. What are people like us supposed to do when this devastating disease hits someone before they are drawing their pension? the Government seem to believe that everyone will be fit to work until they are 65+ without becoming ill. I feel that my husband has been penalised through no fault of his own, his only crime is that he has an incurable disease! Has anyone any advice about help/benefits which we may be able to obtain. Just want to add that before my husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's he has never had a days' sickness since he started working at the age of 16, life seems so unfair.