Living with the effects of AD: disability, support and benefits in the UK
After an emergency, life can be very different from how it was before. A major operation, a long recovery and ongoing physical or emotional effects can change the way you manage everyday life. Some difficulties are obvious. Others are invisible – such as fatigue, pain, anxiety, reduced concentration or the constant worry about your health.
If your health continues to affect your daily life or your ability to work, you may be wondering what support is available to you.
What does "disabled" mean in the UK?
Under the Equality Act 2010, a person is generally considered disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
"Substantial" means more than a minor or trivial difficulty. "Long-term" generally means that the effect has lasted, or is expected to last, for at least 12 months. This means that the diagnosis itself is not the only thing that matters.What matters is how your health affects you.
Two people who have had an aortic dissection may experience very different long-term effects. One person may return to most activities without major difficulties, while another may continue to experience significant limitations. And because many consequences of aortic dissection are invisible, other people may not realise how much has changed.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
If you are aged 16 or over and have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, you may be able to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if you have difficulty with certain everyday activities or getting around.
You generally need to expect these difficulties to last for at least 12 months from when they started.
PIP is not based simply on your diagnosis. The assessment looks at how your condition affects specific areas of daily living and mobility. For someone living after an aortic dissection, this might be relevant if ongoing health problems make everyday activities or getting around significantly more difficult.
However, not everyone who has had an aortic dissection will qualify for PIP. Eligibility depends on your individual circumstances and the difficulties you experience.
If you live in Scotland, new applications are made for Adult Disability Payment (ADP) rather than PIP.
Support at work
A disability or long-term health condition does not automatically mean that you have to stop working. If your health affects your ability to do your job, you may be entitled to reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.
Depending on your situation, adjustments might include:
- flexible or reduced working hours
- a phased return to work
- changes to your working environment
- changes to the way you carry out certain tasks
- adapted equipment
- working from a different location where appropriate
Employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments where the Equality Act applies. For some people, additional practical or financial support may be available through Access to Work.
Access to Work can help people with a disability or health condition start or remain in paid work. Depending on individual needs, support can include specialist equipment, support workers, help with travelling to work or workplace adaptations.
Importantly, Access to Work is intended to provide support beyond the reasonable adjustments an employer is legally required to make.
Your diagnosis does not tell the whole story
After an aortic dissection, you may look well on the outside while still dealing with significant limitations. Perhaps you tire much more easily than before. Perhaps pain, reduced stamina or anxiety make everyday activities harder. Perhaps you can work, but only with more breaks or a different working pattern. These experiences are real – even when they cannot be seen.
You do not have to compare yourself with someone else who has had an aortic dissection. What matters is how your health affects your own life. There is also no shame in asking for support. Needing help does not mean that you are giving up on your independence or your future.
Sometimes the right support can make it possible to keep doing the things that matter to you – including working, spending time with family and friends, and gradually rebuilding your life after aortic dissection.
Where can you find out more?
The rules and support available to you depend on where you live in the UK and on your individual circumstances.
For official information, you can find out more about:
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – for people in England and Wales who meet the eligibility criteria
- Adult Disability Payment (ADP) – for new disability benefit claims in Scotland
- Equality Act 2010 – information about disability protection and reasonable adjustments
- Access to Work – support for people with a disability or health condition who are working or returning to work
Important: We are a self-help organisation, not a benefits, legal or welfare rights advice service. This information is intended to provide general guidance and orientation. It does not replace individual advice. Eligibility for benefits, workplace support and other services depends on your personal circumstances and the rules that apply where you live.
Source: GOV.UK—PIP, Equality Act und Access to Work
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