Sometimes people who have mental health problems are treated unfavourably because of their mental health condition. This is called discrimination and, if you experience it, you may have a legal right to challenge it.
Quick facts
- The Equality Act 2010 is the law that gives you the right to challenge discrimination.
- The Equality Act protects you from discrimination when you:
- Public authorities have an additional duty to eliminate discrimination and promote equality of opportunity, called the public sector equality duty.
- There are short timescales for taking a legal claim if you believe that someone has discriminated against you. If you can, try to get legal advice before starting a claim.
Please note
- This guide covers disability discrimination from the point of view of a person with a mental health problem.
- This guide applies to England and Wales.
- This guide contains general legal information, not legal advice. We recommend you get advice from a specialist legal adviser or solicitor who will help you with your individual situation and needs. See Useful contacts for more information.
- The legal information in this guide does not apply to children unless specifically stated.
This information was published in July 2017. We will revise it in 2019.