MCAS, work and benefits

Your rights at work

MCAS can count as a disability under the Equality Act 2010 if it has a substantial, long-term effect on your daily life. This includes conditions with symptoms that come and go. Your employer must then consider reasonable adjustments, such as:

• a fragrance-free area, or a desk away from kitchens, smoke and chemicals
• control over heating, fans or air conditioning
• flexible hours or working from home on bad days
• extra breaks, and somewhere to rest
• time off for appointments
• a plan for what to do if you have a flare or anaphylaxis at work

Access to Work may help pay for support or equipment you need at work. Read about Access to Work.

Benefits

PIP is based on how MCAS affects you on most days, not on the diagnosis itself. For example, it may affect:

• preparing food and eating: if you need to follow a strict diet or have reactions to cooking smells
• washing and bathing: if heat triggers flushing, dizziness or fainting
• managing medicines: if you need help with a complex medicine routine or adrenaline auto-injectors
• moving around and planning journeys: if reactions, dizziness or fainting make going out unsafe

If your symptoms change a lot, describe your bad days and how often they happen, and what happens after a flare.

If you cannot work because of your health, read about New Style ESA and the Universal Credit health element.

Prescriptions

MCAS can mean taking several medicines. In England, a prescription prepayment certificate covers all your prescriptions for a fixed price. It saves money if you need 4 or more items in 3 months, or 12 or more items in a year. Prescriptions are free in Wales. Read about free NHS prescriptions.