My husband has chronic rheumatoid arthritis and cant work.

? ?I can't help with your question but should point out that I am prescribed 100mg Morphine twice a day + Oramorph - as much as I need, Statins, Clopiderol (blood thinners for thrombosis) Anti psycotics etc etc  5 pages of the stuff. Yet I don't get PIP or Attendance Allowance (over 65) and it took a fight to get ESA (sickness benefit)

I did get High Mobility & Middle Care DLA but that was taken off me.

?It's just a warning that you have to be seriously disabled/sick to get anything - unless you are willing to bend the rules (exaggerate)

?As for a mortgage, you just have to cut back.

Good luck!

Hi,

Would need more information really

Is he self employed

How old is he

How long has this been going on

Have you asked your mortgage provider for a mortgage holiday

There are benefits to be had but seeing the CAB should be your first port of call.

Mike

Are you working? If not you would be entitled to esa phone dwp they will advise what benifits you can get.apply for pip but make sure you have d9c reports to back up your application .if you are working ie full time and your husband has paid at least 3 years ni stamp he can apply for c9ntrubtion esa

Hi Karen

The benefits your husband could possibly claim depending on circumstances are Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI).

From your brief description of your husband’s difficulties it would appear he has limited capability for work and therefore should apply for ESA today. ESA can be either Contribution Based provided your husband has paid enough National Insurance Contributions or Income Related if he hasn’t.

The difference is Contribution based benefit is not means tested so is not affected by any savings or income you might earn. If your husband has an occupational pension which is more than £85pw it would affect Contribution ESA. Income Related is a means tested benefit where savings above £6000 begin to affect the level of payment. Also your income would be considered and any occupational pensions.

Personal Independence Payments are paid to help with the extra cost of disability and are not means tested and are not affected by any income or savings of either you or your husband. It is split into 2 Daily Living and Mobility. Your husband would be tested on a number of ‘descriptors’ including in DL preparing a meal, taking nutrition, washing/bathing, dressing/undressing, toilet needs, budgeting, social interaction and sight/hearing.

Mobility has 2 descriptors planning and following a journey and moving around.

You score ‘points’ (believe it or not) for every descriptor that you fit, in other words a descriptor you can’t do safely, to an expectable standard and within a reasonable time scale. Score 8 points on either DL or Mobility and you are awarded standard rate, score 12 points on either and you are awarded Enhanced rate.

From your brief description I can identify 2 descriptors DL can’t take in nutrition (can’t hold a knife and fork) and Mobility moving around (can barely walk which if that is less than 20m would give him Enhanced). Of course there could be more descriptors he fits you can check them out with a quick Google search and apply at the soonest possible moment. You will need medical evidence and information provided by a Health Care Professional such as your GP or Social Worker.

Support for Mortgage Interest is a very difficult benefit to claim (again Google search for full details) but basically it is your responsibility to pay the mortgage (or at least the interest) for the first 39 weeks (the Government expect you to have insurance for this period and they are not interested if you haven’t got any). From the 40th week the Government will pay the Mortgage Interest only provided that you are in receipt of an ‘Income’ based benefit.