Movement disorders are classed under the wider disabling category of neurological disease. People with writer’s cramp may be unaware that financial support for the neurological movement disorder is available through Personal Independence Payment (PIP). While the number of claimants for hand dystopia is very small - just five across Great Britain - this may be due to a lack of awareness about help available.
Writer’s cramp is a specific type of focal dystonia that affects your fingers, hand, or forearm which impacts writing, causing it to become painful and written work less legible. Dystonic writer’s cramp is much rarer and causes involuntary movements or muscle cramps when people are not writing and doing everyday tasks such as using a knife and fork or applying make-up. Focal dystonia of the hands is a neurological movement disorder where the brain sends incorrect information to the muscles, causing involuntary, excessive muscle contractions .
These signals can also make your hands twist into odd postures. Anyone can get a task-specific dystonia like writer’s cramp and symptoms usually appear between the ages of 30 and 50. Task-specific dystonias - particularly musician’s cramp - are more common in men.
If you or a family member have writer’s cramp, or musician’s cramp, you could be eligible for PIP or Adult Disability Payment (ADP). The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that at the end of April there were more than 465,000 people across Great Britain receiving support through PIP for 70 neurological conditions - which includes writer’s cramp. The list of conditions, recorded as the main disabling condition by the DWP during the PIP application process, is not definitive and it’s important to be aware that it’s not the condition itself that determines the outcome, but how the condition affects the claimant.
The Neurological Alliance says that one in six people in the UK are affected by a neurological condition, which it defines as “any condition that affects the brain, spinal cord and/or nerves.” It adds: “Because these systems control your mind and body, neurological conditions can affect the way you think and feel and interact with the world. Neurological conditions can affect anyone at any age.
The breakdown of claimants includes: There are also 32,691 people over State Pension age claiming Attendance Allowance for a neurological condition. You can find out more about claiming the benefit here. A successful claim for PIP or ADP is worth between £28.
70 and £184.30 each week in additional financial support and as the benefit is paid every four weeks, this amounts to between £114.80 and £737.
20 every pay period. Below is the list of 70 neurological conditions being supported through PIP or ADP to help with either daily living, mobility needs or a combination of both components. Cerebrovascular disease Epilepsy Non epileptic disturbance of consciousness Movement disorders Multiple sclerosis Benign tumours Hydrocephalus Headache Head injury Spinal cord compression Degenerative neuronal diseases Cerebral palsy Spina bifida Ataxia Neuropathy Peripheral nerve injury Disease of muscle Muscular dystrophy Infections Other neurological disorders Below is an overview of PIP and ADP.
Even though new claims for PIP have been replaced in Scotland by ADP, it shares most of the same eligibility criteria. Full guidance on ADP can be found on the MYGOV.SCOT website here.
To be eligible for PIP or ADP, you must have a health condition or disability where you: have had difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for 3 months expect these difficulties to continue for at least 9 months You usually need to have lived in the UK for at least two of the last three years and be in the country when you apply. In addition to what we have outlined above if you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying for PIP or ADP. There are different rules if you are terminally ill, you will find these on the GOV.
UK website here . DWP or Social Security Scotland will assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they will look at: PIP and ADP are usually paid every four weeks unless you are terminally ill, in which case it is paid weekly.
It will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account. ADP is paid at the same rates as PIP. You will need an assessment to work out the level of financial help you will receive and your rate will be regularly reviewed to make sure you are getting the right support.
PIP is made up of two components: Daily living Mobility Whether you get one or both of these and how much depends on how severely your condition affects you. You will be paid the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances: Daily living Standard rate: £72.65 Enhanced rate: £108.
55 Mobility Standard rate: £28.70 Enhanced rate: £715.75 You will be assessed by an independent healthcare professional to help the DWP determine the level of financial support, if any, you need, for PIP.
Face-to-face consultations for health-related benefits are offered alongside video calls, telephone and paper-based assessments - it's important to be aware that the health professional and DWP determine which type of assessment is best suited for each claimant. You can find out more about DWP PIP assessments here . Adult Disability Payment assessments will not involve face-to-face assessments, unless this is preferred by the claimant - find out more about the changes here .
You can make a new claim by contacting the DWP, you will find all the information you need to apply on the GOV.UK website here . Before you call, you will need: your contact details your date of birth your National Insurance number - this is on letters about tax, pensions and benefits your bank or building society account number and sort code your doctor or health worker’s name, address and telephone number dates and addresses for any time you’ve spent abroad, in a care home or hospital People can apply ADP, over the phone, by post or in-person.
To find out more or apply, visit the dedicated pages on mygov.scot here or call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222. Join the conversation on our Money Saving Scotland Facebook group for money-saving tips, the latest benefits news, energy updates and the ongoing cost of living crisis.
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