Can You Claim Benefits If You Have Osteoarthritis?

Claiming benefits while suffering from a condition such as osteoarthritis may require assistance from a family member if you are unable to do so on your own. This is the reason why we aim to provide details through this blog post and enable claimants to learn whether they can claim benefits if they have Osteoarthritis. We will closely examine the eligibility criteria for each benefit that is applicable in such cases, as well as discuss the application process for qualifying individuals.

Can You Claim Benefits If You Have Osteoarthritis?

Yes, you can claim benefits if you have osteoarthritis and your condition restricts your mobility to the extent that you find it difficult to move around. Depending on the severity of your condition, you may be eligible for a Blue Badge. This means that you will be able to park closer to where you need to park so that you don’t have to walk a long distance.

In addition to this, you may be able to claim benefits such as Attendance Allowance or Personal Independence Payment to help you with the additional costs that you incur in your daily life due to your health condition.

Below is a list of all the benefits that you can claim if you qualify for the eligibility criteria:

  • if you are employed but are unable to perform work-related tasks due to your illness, you can Statutory Sick Pay from your employer
  • if you are unable to work due to your condition, you can claim Employment and Support Allowance
  • if you are 64 years old or younger and need assistance with personal care or require help for walking, you may be entitled to a Personal Independence Payment
  • if you are 65 years old or above, you may be able eligible for Attendance Allowance

If you are eligible for Attendance Allowance, you may also qualify for a Council Tax Reduction, Housing Benefit and extra points on Pension Credit. 

Meanwhile, claimants of PIP can further be eligible for the following:

  • Blue Badge
  • Vehicle tax discount or exemption
  • Motability Scheme vehicle, if you get the higher mobility rate of PIP

In addition to this, if there is someone taking care of you and assisting you with routine tasks, they can claim Carer’s Allowance based on your PIP or Attendance Allowance claim. 

How Do You Claim Statutory Sick Pay If You Have Osteoarthritis?

If you have osteoarthritis and it prevents you from performing job-related tasks efficiently (or you are unable to perform them at all), you can claim Statutory Sick Pay by filing a request with your employer. They will first check your eligibility for the claim based on the following criteria:

  • you are classed as an employee (and not a worker) and have performed work-related tasks for your employer
  • your average weekly earnings are at least £123 per week
  • you have been sick for a minimum of 4 consecutive days (this includes non-working days)

If you meet the eligibility criteria and inform your employer according to the deadline set by them, you will be able to claim £99.35 a week for up to 28 weeks. This is the minimum amount that employers must pay their employees if they qualify for SSP. Any amount below this will not be acceptable. On the other hand, some employees choose to pay a higher amount; which they can do at their discretion.

If you have more than one employer, you should claim SSP from both or all of them. However, do keep in mind that tax and National Insurance deductions are made from SSP.

How Do You Claim Employment and Support Allowance If You Have Osteoarthritis?

You can contact your Job Centre or apply online to claim Employment and Support Allowance. Alternatively, you can contact the Jobcentre new claims helpline using the following means:

  • Telephone: 0800 055 6688
  • Textphone: 0800 328 1344
  • Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 055 6688

However, you should first meet the eligibility criteria for ESA; which include the following:

  • you are under the State Pension age
  • your health condition affects how much you can work
  • you have been employed or self-employed in the past(you can be unemployed at the time of filing the claim)
  • you have made the required amount of National Insurance contributions
  • you are not claiming SSP or your payments have run out
  • you are not receiving benefits payments through Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • you work less than 16 hours per week 
  • your earnings are not more than £152 a week

The amount that you can claim through ESA will depend on your age, your condition and your ability to return to the workforce. Therefore, you can expect a weekly payment of up to £77.00 if you’re in the work-related activity group and up to £117.60 per week if you’re in the support group.

How Do You Claim Personal Independence Payment If You Have Osteoarthritis?

You can claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) by contacting the Disability Service Centre or calling them on 0800 917 2222. 

To be eligible for PIP, you should be able to meet these conditions:

  • aged 16 years or above 
  • having a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
  • facing difficulty doing certain routine tasks or moving around
  • the difficulties are expected to last for at least 12 months from the day they started

In addition to this, the claimant must be under State Pension age if they have not received PIP before.

Payments you receive after your claim is assessed and approved will be made every 4 weeks. Based on your condition, you can expect to be paid according to the following details;

  • if you are claiming the Daily Living Part, you will be paid between £61.85 and £92.40
  • if you are claiming Mobility Part, you will get between £24.45 and £64.50

How Do You Claim Attendance Allowance If You Have Osteoarthritis?

You can claim Attendance Allowance if you have osteoarthritis by filling out the Attendance Allowance claim form online or in writing and sending it to Freepost DWP Attendance Allowance via post.

During your assessment for Attendance Allowance, you will be evaluated on the following grounds:

  • whether or not you have a physical or a mental disability (including learning difficulties)
  • the severity of your disability is such that you need help caring for yourself or you need someone to supervise you
  • you have required support for at least 6 months

The DWP transfers payments for Attendance Allowance to your bank, credit union or building society account.

The amount that you can claim will vary as follows:

  • you will receive the lower rate of £61.85 if you require frequent help or regular supervision during the day, or to be looked after at night
  • you can claim the higher rate of £92.40 if you need supervision throughout the day and night

How Do You Claim A Blue Badge If You Have Osteoarthritis?

If you qualify for a Blue Badge due to osteoarthritis, you can apply online for your claim. Once you are given a Blue Badge, you will gain access to unlimited parking on streets with parking meters or pay-and-display machines, unlimited parking (unless a time limit is displayed on a sign) in disabled parking bays on streets and parking space for up to three hours on single or double yellow lines (unless there’s a ‘no loading’ sign).

Blue Badge concessions are given to drivers with certain medical conditions in the UK, enabling them to park closer to their destinations. As a Blue Badge holder, you can ask your local council to allocate you a parking space that is close to home.

If you are a Blue Badge holder who is also claiming the Standard Rate Mobility Component for Personal Independence Payment, you will get a 50% discount on your vehicle tax. In certain cases, you may be able to declare your vehicle in the Disabled Tax class as well.

How Do You Claim Carer’s Allowance If You Take Care Of Someone With Osteoarthritis?

If an individual is responsible for taking care of someone at least 35 hours per week and the person that they take care of is also a recipient of Attendance Allowance, the individual taking care of them may claim Carer’s Allowance. 

Additionally, the applicant must also be able to fulfil the below criteria:

  • 16 years or older
  • a resident of England, Scotland, or Wales
  • lived in England, Scotland, or Wales for a minimum of 2 of the last 3 years or if they have been granted humanitarian protection
  • not pursuing full-time education
  • not studying for more than 21 hours a week
  • earning £128 or less per week 

During 2021-2022, the weekly amount for the carer’s allowance is set at £67.60. The claimant can choose to receive weekly or monthly payments.

Conclusion:

With the help of the above discussion, we have been able to conclude that there is a range of benefits that can be claimed by individuals who are suffering from Osteoarthritis. However, having the condition itself does not qualify you for benefits as certain conditions need to be met to qualify for each benefit. Depending on their circumstances and conditions, some applicants will be able to claim more benefits than others.

FAQs: Can You Claim Benefits If You Have Osteoarthritis?

Is osteoarthritis considered a disability?

Osteoarthritis can be considered a disability for some patients but there is no general rule of thumb that categorises all patients of osteoarthritis as disabled. 

Can I get financial help with osteoarthritis?

Yes, you can get financial help with osteoarthritis through government benefits and independent support schemes. Some of the benefits that you may be able to claim due to osteoarthritis include Employment and Support Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment.

Can I get PIP for osteoarthritis?

Yes, you can get PIP for osteoarthritis if you are facing difficulty doing certain routine tasks or moving around and the difficulties are expected to last for at least 12 months from the day they started.

What jobs should be avoided with osteoarthritis?

According to research, agriculture workers, construction workers, miners, service workers, houseworkers (i.e. housewives) and cleaners are at a higher risk for degenerative osteoarthritis and should reduce their working hours as well as workload.

Does osteoarthritis make you tired?

Yes, osteoarthritis makes the patient tired and eventually affects their quality of life due to the persistent condition. Osteoarthritis can also make people feel sick, tired and sometimes 

feverish as well.

References:

Osteoarthritis – Living with – NHS

People with joint pain or arthritis could get £608 from DWP in PIP claim – Liverpool Echo

Information and Support on Arthritis | Age UK