Recently diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the spine

jesai

I am 60;and have psoriatic arthritis in my hands and feet which restricts things that I can do and I am struggling at work I have recently been diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the spine so uncomfortable to sit for long a friend told me that I would be ble to claim disability benefits as I think I will have to give up work soon it is becoming more difficult but I am worried I won’t be able to claim anything or would it be universal credit I want to find out before I give up my job can anyone advice what route to go down thank yo

Adam_Alumni

Hi @Jesai

A warm welcome to our community.

I am sorry to hear that your recent diagnosis is making you feel worried,

I would suggest Scope's Benefits calculator page as a starting point.

I have also placed your post in the What benefits am I entitled to?  section where someone will be along to offer you further advice.  I hope this helps you.

 

 

poppy123456

Hi,

If you're struggling to work then SSP is the first thing you can claim and this is paid by your employer for 28 weeks but you'll need a fit note from your GP to be able to claim this. https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay You should also speak to your employer about the work you do and about your conditions.

Once that has ended, if you've paid enough NI contributions in the previous 2 tax years then you can claim New style ESA, with a fit note from your GP.

PIP isn't means tested. It's awarded based on how your conditions affect your ability to carry out daily activities based on the PIP descriptors, it's not about a diagnosis. Evidence will be needed to support your claim because they rarely contact anyone. A face to face assessment is most likely because most people have them,

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/before-claiming/how-much-you-get-and-how-long/

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf

jesai

Thank you Poppy123456