I've been told I can work sitting down, but I find this too painful. My assessments were cancelled

nickibe

I seem to have a problem with universal credit about whether i can work, which i can't apart from being disabled i have rheamatoloid Arthritis which causes pain i have osteoporosis and old fractures in my back i have had the assessments that were cancelled each time and am now waiting for a new one. I was told by one person that i can work sitting down. I find sitting for too long painful.

calcotti

Under UC you are treated as fit for work until the assessment has been carried out a decision made. Your work coach can however turn off, or reduce, your commitments.

vikingqueen

If you are experiencing a lot of pain from your RA you need to speak to your rheumy team, maybe your medication needs looking at., and I would ring your GP regarding the osteoarthritis, you may feel better once the pain is controlled.

Alex_Alumni

Hi @nickibe and welcome to the community. I'm sorry to here you've been having difficulty with universal credit. If you have a work coach, have you spoken to them about your concerns around sitting for too long? 

You might find Scope's Support to Work programme would be useful. They can help with getting into work, as well as supporting you when you're in work. They can also help you apply for Access to Work, which can provide equipment to enable you to work to the best of your ability.

What kind of work are you looking to get into? And would a standing desk be a potential solution to sitting too long? Perhaps scheduling in regular breaks to stand? This could be incorporated into a future role as a reasonable adjustment.  

Can I ask, what support are you currently receiving for your pain management? If you feel you can't currently manage your pain levels, I'd encourage you to chat to your GP as vikingqueen has advised.

Let us know if we can help any further

Alex