Your rights at work
Under the Equality Act rules, addiction to alcohol is not counted as a disability in itself. But health conditions caused by or linked to drinking, such as liver disease, depression or anxiety, can count if they have a substantial, long-term effect on your daily life.
Many employers have policies to support staff with alcohol problems, such as time off for treatment. Asking for help early is usually better than waiting until there is a problem at work.
Driving
You must tell the DVLA if you have alcohol dependence or misuse alcohol. You must not drive while unfit through drink, including the morning after. Check GOV.UK for the rules.
Benefits
PIP is based on how your health affects you on most days. It does not matter what caused your condition. If alcohol dependence, or health problems linked to it, mean you need help with things like preparing food, eating, managing treatment, managing money or getting around, you may be entitled to PIP.
PIP points self-check
Go through the 12 PIP activities one at a time and see roughly how many points may apply to you.
About 10 minutes. Your answers never leave your device.
If you cannot work because of your health, you may be able to get Universal Credit or New Style Employment and Support Allowance. Free advisers, such as Citizens Advice, can help with benefits and debt.
Sources we used
- The Equality Act 2010 (Disability) Regulations 2010
- GOV.UK, Alcohol problems and driving
- GOV.UK, Personal Independence Payment
We check this page at least once a year, and sooner when the rules change. Read how we check our facts, or tell us if something looks wrong.