Arthritis, how to cope financially?

[Jnw113]

Hi there,

I’ve recently been diagnosed with arthritis of the hip and am struggling somewhat in the workplace as my job entails being on my feet all day. When I get home at night I sit down for a cuppa, but seem to cease up and struggle walking for the rest of the night.

i struggle with the pain even on my days off although it’s not so sever as it is on a working day.

I’m 64 years old and I’ve never struggled to pay my way as I have worked hard all my life. However, it’s now worrying me as I still have a few years to work until I get my state pension and I don’t know if I can continue to work. Looking online I don’t think I would be entitled to PIP as I’m not at the point yet where I need assistance dressing, and the universal credit amount they allow for a single person is just not enough to make ends meet.

How do people cope in situations like this?

You need to be seen by a consultant with the view to replace it. There is no getting better from a damaged joint

Talk to your employer about reasonable accommodations for your disability

Do what you can to stay in work. Even if you're employed but off sick, you'll get more income than just benefits

Use a benefit calculator (turn2us or entitled to) to check what your benefit entitlement would be if you were on sick pay (you'll need to check with your employer how much sick pay you can get)

How's your walking? Did you look at the mobility criteria for PIP. There's more to it than just can you walk. It's can you do it safely, to a reasonable standard, in a normal amount of time, even if you can walk, if you are in pain while doing so you may still qualify. Look at the website www.benefitsandwork.co.uk to see exactly how to fill in the forms, you might qualify after all.

Do you have a workplace pension. Look into whether you could retire early. Doing so on ill-health grounds would likely give you the biggest pension, especially if you are in the public sector.

Have a look at the access to work website they can help with any aids you may need at work.
What is your job, can your employers move you to a different role or equivalent so it doesn't impact on your health as it may get worse quicker?

I work in benefits for older people and it's very common to see people start to struggle in their mid fifties. Many do have to give up work and claim benefits or take private pensions early to manage. As other have said, you need to see if your workplace can make reasonably adaptions or move you to a lighter job. If you cannot continue in your job then take all sick leave available to you rather than just resigning, let them retire you medically rather than leaving as workplace sick pay is almost always better than UC will pay..You could also consider changing to a desk based job, not always easy at your age I know.

Are you seeing a physio? If not, ask for a referral to one. Definitely get a referral (the physio can do it) to a consultant to find out about a hip replacement, but while you wait, exercise can help a lot.

This was a massive help to me - not just the exercise, but pain management and mental health advice, and the peer support, made a big difference. Now, post hip replacement, I still go to the gym with people I met on the course. If there is one near you, I really recommend trying g to get on it

www.nuffieldhealth.com/about-us/our-impact/healthy-life/joint-pain-programme

Apply for an office based role which allows you more opportunities to sit down

Do you have any pension you can access now to get you through to state pension age?