Can I claim PIP for Osteoarthritis?

Can I Claim pip for Osteoarthritis:

This guide can help you to complete your PIP form and how Osteoarthritis affects your ability to do daily tasks and restricts your mobility. It goes into detail about whether you can do things; safely, in a reasonable amount of time, to an acceptable standard and repeatedly.

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis causes joint pain and swelling and is the most common cause of arthritis in the UK.

The main symptoms that are relevant to a PIP claim are:

Joint tenderness – most commonly in hips, knees, hands, fingers, spine and wrists
Pain and stiffness of joints
Limited range of movements of the affected joints
Weakness of muscles and muscle wasting
Joints can “give way” particularly the knees which can affect balance and mobility.
Pain, swelling and disfigurement of hands and fingers.
Difficulty bending.
A grating sensation and a unpleasant cracking noise of the affected joints.

REMEMBER – These symptoms can suddenly worsen (also known as a flare up) and are often worst in Autumn/Winter and damp/cold weather. PIP looks at how you are most of the time, 51%. If for most days, you need an aid or support or prompting than that should be included in your PIP claim.

Medication & treatment

You may be prescribed pain relief that is stronger than over the counter pain relief such as Pregabalin or gabapentin. You may be prescribed Ibuprofen gel for the pain and swelling. Some patients are given steroid injections to provide short term pain relief and may be on the waiting list for replacements of joints such as knees and hips.

Many patients with Osteoarthritis will have received physiotherapy or are on the waiting list for physio. You may have been given aids to assist with your day to day living such as walking ads, grab rails or walking aids.

Please ensure you list any exercises you have been asked to do to help your condition, how often and what difficulties you may experience doing these exercises.

Other conditions

You must list all health conditions on your PIP form that affect your ability to do carry out day to day activities. Some conditions may be linked to the Osteoarthritis others may not be.

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Daily living descriptors

In this section we will look at each of the daily living descriptors and break down how each may be impacted due to Osteoarthritis. Remember this is only looking at how Osteoarthritis may affect you so if you have other conditions or symptoms that are not mentioned do included these when completing you PIP claim.

1. Preparing food

In this descriptor they are looking at your ability to cook a simple meal for 1 from fresh ingredients. How does Osteoarthritis impact this activity:

If you have any aids in the kitchen such as a perching stool, electric can opener, grabber or one cup kettle etc be sure you include this on your PIP claim.
You may have difficulty standing for long due to knee, back and hip pain.
Is your grip affected? Can you peel and chop safely?
Can you open jars and tins?
Could you lift a pan of boiling water and drain it safely? Do you have to use special light weight pans or use a slotted spoon rather than draining the pan. You may need the support of another person to do this activity for you.
You may need to buy pre-prepared or frozen vegetables. You may have aids to assist in opening jars.
You may only eat ready meals because they are easy to manage.
Could you repeat the task to an acceptable standard?
If the Osteoarthritis affects your hips and knees maybe you are unsteady on your feet and you need assistance as it is dangerous for you to do things on your own in the kitchen.
Are you exhausted afterwards and need to rest?
Do you batch cook on a day when the pain is less so that on bad days you already have food ready?
Are you taking regular breaks to get relief from the pain and returning to the activity later?
Think about how long you would take a break for before being able to complete a task in the kitchen. Does it take you much longer to prepare food because the pains mean you have to do it slowly.

Do you need promoting, assistance or supervision to complete this task? Explain what help you would need. Maybe you need assistance so that you can do this activity in a timely manner.

2. Taking Nutrition

In this descriptor they are looking at your ability to eat and drink. Can you convey food to your mouth, chew and swallow without difficulties. How does Osteoarthritis affect this activity:

Due you have a reduced appetite because of your health condition?
Do you need prompting to start or finish your meal?
Can you use cutlery, okay? Often people with Osteoarthritis in the fingers and hands need help cutting up their food or may only eat food that requires only a fork or can be eaten with their hands.
Do you have special drinks to help maintain weight?
Do you eat slowly?
Do you take breaks when eating?
Does it take you twice as long to finish your meal?
Does someone help you get food in your mouth due to severe joint pain.

3. Managing Therapy or monitoring a Health condition

In this descriptor they are looking at how much support you need to manage your health condition, things like taking medications or managing therapeutic treatments such as chemotherapy, dialysis or physiotherapy. For this descriptor they are looking at supervision, prompting or assistance and the time needed for that each week. When filling in this section make sure you tell them how long someone is helping you for. How does Osteoarthritis affect this activity:

Do you need an aid such as a pill popper as your fingers can’t get the medications out of a blister pack. Does your pharmacist put the pills in an easy access box for you?
Do you have assistance from another person to get your medication out?
Do you use a dosette box to help organise your medication so you can take it safely?
Does fatigue impact your ability to safely take your medication.
Do you need support, motivation or prompting to do exercises advised by the Physio.

4. Washing and Bathing

In this descriptor they look at your ability to have a shower or bath and what help you may need. How does Osteoarthritis affect this activity:

Does your Osteoarthritis mean the joint pain in the hips and knees makes it difficult to get in and out of the bath/shower without help from another person or do you have additional grab rails to support you.
Do you use a bath board or shower stool, to help manage dizziness, poor balance and fatigued while washing?
Can you squeeze the shampoo/shower gel bottles or does the hand & finger pain/swelling make this difficult?
Do you have difficulty bending and do you struggle washing certain parts of your body. Can you wash your feet?
Do you have to wash in a special way due to your pain and swelling. i.e. wash hair one handed, while holding on to the shower with your other hand? Do you lean against the wall?
Can you lift your arms to wash your hair? Does this cause high levels of pain, and do you depend on the help of someone else?
Do you lack the motivation to wash due to fatigue or medication side effects such as dizziness.
Due to pain or fatigue, does it take you twice as long to wash? Is the length of time reasonable compared to a person with no health condition.
Are you washing to acceptable standard? This means that you are able to wash or bathe as someone without your condition would be able to do.
Do you rest after washing and for how long?
Can you complete this task safely?
Do you need prompting from another person to have a wash?
Do you need physical assistance from another person to wash your upper and lower body
Do you need someone to supervise you while in the bathroom to keep you safe from injury, such as, risk of fainting or falling. Maybe your balance is poor, or your knees may “go”. Do you keep the door unlocked for your safety? Do you only shower/bathe

How often are you managing to have a wash? Would you like to wash more but cannot physically manage it?

5. Managing Toilet needs or Incontinence

In this descriptor they look at your ability to manage your own toilet or incontinence needs. How does Osteoarthritis affect this activity:

Do you need an aid to get on and off the toilet safely? Do you use a window ledge, radiator or bath edge to help you get on or off the toilet?
Does the pain and swelling in your hands impact your ability to wipe yourself?
Do your wear incontinence pads? Do you struggle to get to the toilet in time because your knees, hips and pain make mobilising slow and difficult.
Does it take you twice as long to use the toilet?
Do you need prompting, assistance or supervision to be able to manage your toilet needs to acceptable standard
Does someone have to support you in getting to the toilet and on and off the toilet.
Have Occupational Therapy provided a commode because you cannot get to your toilet?

6. Dressing and Undressing

In this descriptor they look at your ability to dress and undress yourself daily or as required if clothes have been soiled. How does Osteoarthritis affect this activity:

Can you bend forward to dress your lower body without experiencing too much pain, fatigue or poor balance?
Do you have to sit down to dress your lower body?
Does the pain and stiffness in your joints make is difficult to lift your arms to out on t-shirts and tops?
Can you fasten your underwear?
Do you need the help and assistance from another person to dress?
Do you use an aid to put your socks and shoes on? Do you only wear slip on shoes?
Can you fasten clothing with buttons & zips or are your hands and fingers swollen and disfigured, so you choose easy to wear clothing?
Do you take rest breaks due to pain and fatigue? How long do you rest for?
Does it take you twice as long to get dressed because of your Osteoarthritis?
Do you choose not to change your clothes or get dressed because you physically can’t face it.
Do you wear dirty clothes because you cannot manage to change due to pain and fatigue.
Do you have to rest afterwards and for how long?

7. Communicating Verbally

In this descriptor they look at your ability to understand and convey verbal information. How does Osteoarthritis affect this activity:

Generally, Osteoarthritis will not impact your ability to communicate and would not entitle you to points.

8. Reading understanding Signs, Symbols and Words

In this descriptor they look at your ability to read and understand basic and complex written information. How does Osteoarthritis affect this activity:

Generally, Osteoarthritis will not impact your ability to read and would not entitle you to points.

9. Engaging with Other people Face to Face

In this descriptor they look at your ability to engage with other people. How does Osteoarthritis affect this activity:

Do you avoid mixing with other people because of the pain you experience due to the Osteoarthritis?
Do you have to have someone with you for social support as you struggle to engage on your own?

10. Making Budgeting Decisions

In this descriptor they look at your ability to making basic and complex budgeting decisions. How does Osteoarthritis affect this activity:

Generally, Osteoarthritis will not impact your ability to manage a budget and would not entitle you to points.

Mobility descriptors

In this section we will look at each of the mobility descriptors and break down how each may be impacted due to Osteoarthritis. Remember this is only looking at how Osteoarthritis may affect you so if you have other conditions or symptoms that are not mentioned do included these when completing you PIP claim.

1. Planning and Following a Journeys

In this descriptor they look at your ability to plan and follow familiar and new journeys. How does Osteoarthritis affect this activity:

Do you need help from another person to stay safe while making a journey?
Do you have poor balance and feel vulnerable going somewhere alone?
Would going somewhere unfamiliar make you feel so anxious that you need someone with you?

2. Moving around

In this descriptor they look at your ability stand and walk up to 200 metres with or without an aid. You need to include how far you can walk in metres, more than 200 metres, 50-200 metres, 20-50 meters, 1-20 metres and cannot stand or move 1 metre with or without an aid. How does Osteoarthritis affect this activity:

Due to joint pain is the distance you can walk limited?
Due to joint pain and inflammation do you stop and rest? If yes how long do you rest for in minutes and how often?
Does it take you twice as long to get to where you are going because you have Osteoarthritis and because you walk more slowly, and you have to stop and rest?
Can you repeat the walk?
Can you complete the walk reliably and to an acceptable standard?
Is your walking pace, fast, normal, slow or very slow?
Do you use a walking aid such as a walking stick or support from another person?
Do your ankles swell?
Is walking painful?
How do you feel afterwards?
Do you have to take pain relief prior to going out to try and combat pain?
Do you have to wait for days that are “better” to do tasks that involve mobilising?
Do you walk close to things you can lean on for support?

Please remember that this is not a complete list and if you have other symptoms or conditions that affect this descriptor, they need to be included on your PIP claim. More information can be found at www.gov.uk