Hi, my name is Mol!

Mol

Hi I am 49 years old and had to have C5-C6 cervical disc replacement, also they had to trim the one away as it was squashing my nerves. I also have Haemochromatosis and Nash (non alcoholic liver Cirrhosis), I have been diagnosed with early  osteoarthritis in both knee's. I have also just been told that all the pain I am getting in my shoulders and neck is because of degenerated disease. I have lost a lot of movement in both arms and i am right handed and cannot even lay on my right side because of the pain. I would like to find out if I am classed as Disabled? I currently work and want to keep on working but my conditions are preventing me the peace of mind doing my job. If i get registered as disabled it would give me  peace of mind that my company could not do anything to take my job away. I am confused because my doctors will not say if I am or not disabled. Can anyone advise please.

Sam_Alumni

Hi @Mol welcome to the community

According to the gov website, "You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities."

Citizens Advice says "Some conditions are automatically treated as a disability under the Equality Act. But if you don't have one of these conditions and you want to make a claim for disability discrimination, you will have to show the effect your condition has on your daily life to prove it's a disability.

The Equality Act says a disability is a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day- to- day activities.

Normal day-to-day activities are those carried out by most people on a regular basis.

For example:

• walking or driving
• washing or getting dressed
• cooking or eating
• using public transport
• talking or hearing
• writing, typing or reading
• carrying or moving things
• being able to concentrate or understand
• being able to form social relationships.

To be considered a disability, your condition must have a substantial adverse effect on your daily life. This means it must have more than a minor effect. The condition doesn’t have to stop you from doing something completely, but it must make it more difficult. It may also be that you avoid doing certain things - for example, because they cause you a lot of pain or make you very tired.

Some conditions start out has having a minor effect on your daily life, but get worse over time. This kind of condition is called a progressive condition - for example, dementia and motor neurone disease. With conditions like this, it doesn't matter if it only has a minor effect now. It can still be treated as a disability as long as it's having some effect on your daily life now and it's likely to have a substantial effect in the future."

Do you think it would be possible to speak to your doctor so you had a clearer understanding of your illnesses?

CathyInSouthAfrica

Thank you Mol for asking this question, and Sam for your very informative answer.
I am also confused about whether I am classed as disabled or not.
I was told that if you can do a full time permanent job, you are not classed as disabled. I understand this, but sometimes it gets confusing.

One doctor told me that I am perfectly normal until I move.

Mol

Thanks for your reply Sam, I have spoken to one of your collegues and I have contacted DWP for a pip application form.

I am fed up with GP'S to be honest as I have been complaining about my conditions for years and they never seem to take it serious. 

The one thing they love saying is take paracetamol which does not do anything,
I do have a few more conditions which I have not mentioned but all of them are life long. 

Another example is I have been complaining about my thumbs for over 3 years and have been limited what I can do. I had physio and accupuncture but was told there was nothing wrong and discharged.

Now I have been to see a hand therapist and the first visit was a written assessment, the second visit she examined my hands and said straight away that I had trigger thumb in both hands the right hand worse than the left.

I don't mean to sound negative about our national health service as I do believe we have a good health service that is being pushed to its limits.

Cathy I would suggest you apply for disability at worse they can turn your claim down, You have nothing to lose.