New figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that there are now more than one million adults across Great Britain receiving support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for more than 85 musculoskeletal conditions, including 88,768 living in Scotland.
Musculoskeletal conditions are injuries and disorders that affect the human body’s movement or musculoskeletal system such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, discs and blood vessels. Arthritis is a general term that refers to many of these different conditions, however, some common conditions include osteoarthritis, back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, gout, polymyalgia rheumatica, lupus and ankylosing spondylitis.
If you are over 16 and under State Pension age, you may be able to claim PIP to help with a musculoskeletal condition, and if your ability to work is limited due to your symptoms you could be eligible for ‘new style’ Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
