Your rights at work
An eating disorder can count as a disability under the Equality Act 2010 if it has a substantial, long-term effect on your daily life. Your employer must consider reasonable adjustments, such as:
- protected breaks for meals and snacks
- time off for treatment and appointments
- a phased return after time off
- flexibility if you are attending a day programme
Access to Work offers a free Mental Health Support Service.
Benefits
PIP is based on how your condition affects you on most days. An eating disorder can affect:
- eating and drinking: needing prompting or supervision to eat, which is part of the PIP activity on "taking nutrition"
- preparing food: needing supervision or support to prepare meals
- mixing with other people and planning journeys: if anxiety causes overwhelming distress
- managing treatment: needing support with an eating plan or medicine
Children and young people under 16 may qualify for DLA if they need much more care and supervision than other children their age, for example at mealtimes.
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.
Sources we used
- GOV.UK, Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010
- GOV.UK, Access to Work
- GOV.UK, Personal Independence Payment
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