Power of Attorney You may, at some point, feel the need for someone to take over your financial arrangements. If so, you will almost certainly need good legal advice, perhaps at first from Citizens Advice if you have not already got a good solicitor. Because this situations tends to happen when you get older, and […]
Prescriptions Unfortunately you are not entitled to free prescriptions just because you have Multiple Sclerosis – it is not yet included as one of the relatively few diseases or conditions for which free prescriptions are available. However, prescriptions are free if you are aged under 16 or in full-time education and aged under 19; if […]
Telling your insurance company In the case of health insurance, life assurance or endowment policies associated with a mortgage, you must tell the company that you have MS. Such information may also be required for car insurance purposes in order to ensure that any future claim you make will not be denied, on the grounds […]
Sources of help The most obvious written source is the Disability Rights Handbook. This is updated every April and published by the Disability Alliance (see Appendix 2). This guide is very readable but, unless you are familiar with interpreting legislation, you should still seek advice from other sources. • The Benefits Agency handles social security […]
This chapter deals with some very complicated issues. This is not only because people’s own circumstances are all different, but because the rules and regulations governing eligibility to benefits, pensions and so on are themselves complex and can change frequently. It is very important that, in addition to taking note of the points we make […]
The provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 are in principle very substantial, and apply to many aspects of employment. However, the exact implications of many of the provisions have not yet all been legally tested, so it will only become clear over the years how precisely the Act will apply. It is important to […]
Given the way that news gets around, it is unlikely that you will be able to tell one colleague without others becoming aware of your situation quite quickly. Despite your wishes, sometimes it can even happen that information from outside your work situation alerts colleagues about your MS unintentionally, for example an inadvertent message from […]
This is a more difficult issue. Whilst the battle to reduce prejudice against people with Multiple Sclerosis at work is gradually being won for people in their current jobs, many employers still have a concern about promoting people with the condition. In your current job you will have proved yourself, that is almost certainly why […]
You need to think this situation through beforehand, and rehearse what you might say. It is very important that your employer knows something about MS before you speak to them if possible. Any negative, or less than positive, reaction to what you say may be due as much to ignorance of MS, as to any […]
At the time when men and women are diagnosed with MS, almost all are in employment of some kind. Considering how the diagnosis is going to affect your current job and future career is therefore a matter of considerable importance. Many issues arise in this context, including how or indeed whether to tell your employer; […]
