Advice on benefits if husband cannot return to work

[RaraRachael]

Looking for advice please.

OH is currently employed in a job where he's on his feet all day. He's been diagnosed with arthritis in his feet, is in extreme pain and is currently struggling to walk even a short distance. He's been off work for 4 weeks and is on Statutory Sick Pay. It's looking very likely that he won't be able to return to his current job.

He is desperate to find a new job where he can be seated but we live in a rural area where jobs aren't easy to come by and he's 64.

If he can't find another job, what benefits could he claim? We've looked online but it all seems very confusing. We're in Scotland in case that makes any difference.

He enquired about UC but was told we'd have to make a joint claim which I don't understand.
We've always had separate bank accounts.

There are a number of options. Can he take private pensions early or be medically retired ? He could look at adp or PIP. He could look at contributions based ESA although i guess he could be found fit for work if he could do a sitting job. Do you work ? If so then UC might be out of the question but does depend on factors like having rent to pay, savings etc as it's means tested.
We are in a similar situation, DH is 62 with a crumbling ankle due to osteoarthritis and he needs major surgery. He also has long term severe asthma and on biologics. I sometimes wonder how he keeps working. He plans to try to go on for another 18 months, maybe having the surgery and taking sick time during that time. He is stubborn and won't apply for PIP and probably wouldn't qualify as he can wash and dress himself and still mobilise. I guess we are lucky in that we have no mortgage and I am working.

Yes UC would be a couple claim. It is a means tested benefit so based on joint income and savings. It makes no difference if you've always had seperate bank accounts ! He could look at new style ESA ( a benefit based on NI contributions which he has paid ) when his SSP is ending if you don't qualify for UC as a couple. new style ESA is around £94 per week initially with the potential to rise further if they decide he is not fit for any kind of work.

because you are married, it is a joint claim. If you are retired however (over 67) you can’t claim UC anyway so it would just be for him.

This is completely wrong information. If one of a couple is over state pension age and one under they would still claim UC as a couple.( in benefit terms called a mixed age couple ).

UC is means tested so would be a joint claim.

new style ESA is solo so would be based just on him.

It is better in many ways, especially for one half of a couple.

it can be topped up by UC when it’s your only income.

Because it can end up as the same amount of money a lot of advisors simply advise to claim UC, but when part of a couple that’s not always the best course of action.

We're not married

If you live together as a couple it is a joint UC claim. your thread title literally says husband !

Could you do some work to increase your joint income on top of your pensions and the sick pay?

Has he been referred to a rheumatologist op ? My dh has had steroid injections into his ankle joint and they have really helped with the pain. Something like this may be an option for his feet ?

That wasn't my title. I had put OH but the stupid AI thing changed it.
I don't know why it thinks we're not capable of thinking up our own titles.

He has a podiatry appointment in a couple of weeks. He's on painkillers but the GPs just keep increasing them.
He asked about an injection but the doctor said "We won't go down that route yet"