Benefits available
This section gives a brief overview of the main benefits that you may be eligible for if you have pulmonary hypertension (PH) or if you are a caregiver for someone with PH.
Statutory sick pay
You are eligible for statutory sick pay (SSP) if you are employed but are too ill to work. SSP can be paid for up to 28 weeks from when you stop work because of illness or disability. You can claim £79.15 a week for SSP (2010–2011 rates).
Employment and support allowance
You can claim employment and support allowance (ESA) if you have an illness or disability that prevents you from working. It is available to women aged 16–59 years and men aged 16–64 years. You can start claiming ESA if your SSP has ended or if you weren’t eligible for SSP.
To be eligible for ESA, you will need to have a ‘capacity to work’ assessment. This involves a medical review to assess what type of work you could do. You will then be placed into one of two groups:
- Work-related activity group (you receive support to return to suitable work)
- Support group (you are not expected to work)
Using 2010–2011 rates, you can claim £50.95 a week (for people aged 16–24 years) or £64.30 a week (for people aged 25 and over) during a 13-week assessment period. After this, you receive up to £91.40 a week if you are in the work-related activity group. Those in the support group can claim up to £96.85.
Disability living allowance
You can claim disability living allowance (DLA) if you are under 65 years old and need help caring for yourself or if you find it difficult to walk. DLA has two components: these relate to care (for people who need help looking after themselves, and to mobility (for people who have trouble walking).
Depending on your overall physical condition, you can claim £18.95, £47.80 or £71.40 a week for the care component, and £18.95 or £49.85 for the mobility component. Some people may be eligible to claim for both components. These rates are based on 2010–2011 figures.
Attendance allowance
If you are 65 years old or over and need help caring for yourself because of your disability, you may be able to claim attendance allowance. Depending on your overall physical condition, you can get £71.40 or £47.80 a week. These rates are based on 2010–2011 figures.
Disability living allowance for children
If your child has PH they may be classed as disabled. If this is the case, you can claim DLA for them. The amount you can claim is the same as for an adult (see above). Again, the amount you can claim depends on the needs of the child. The care component of DLA can usually be claimed from 3 months of age. The higher rate of the mobility component can only be claimed from 3 years of age, and the lower rate of the mobility component from 5 years of age.
Carers allowance
Carers allowance can be claimed by some people aged 16 or over who spend over 35 hours a week caring for a disabled person (this includes a disabled child). If you are eligible for carers allowance, you can claim £53.90 a week (2010–2011 rates).
Claiming benefits
In addition to the benefits detailed here, there may be other benefits that you may be eligible for. These may include a community care grant, a free bus pass, a disabled person’s railcard and help with travel costs to hospital. To check which benefits you may be entitled to, visit the benefits advisor section of the direct.gov website. Alternatively, your specialist PH team may be able to put you in touch with a social worker or welfare officer who can advise you regarding which benefits you may be able to claim.