Sources of help

Some parents with arthritis may need extra help to bring up a family. The Arthritis Care discussion forum is a great place to get in touch with other parents with arthritis. Organisations such as the Disabled Parents Network (DPN) and Disability, Pregnancy and Parenthood international (DPPi) provide support and information to disabled parents in the form of practical guides and web discussion forums where you can exchange ideas with other parents. Contact your local social services department (social work department in Scotland, health trust social work team in Northern Ireland) to find out what statutory support you are entitled to. This could include:

• help buying equipment or adapting your home
• direct payments – local council payments for people who have been assessed as needing help from social services and who would like to arrange and pay for their own care and support services instead of receiving them directly from the council
• other benefits – all parents receive a child tax credit but you may be eligible for extra help if you are on certain benefits, such as Disability Living Allowance

For more information on benefits, call the Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 882200 (0800 220674 in Northern Ireland). The government’s Directgov website is also a good reference source on benefits and general information about being a disabled parent.