Choices
Useful organisations
This leaflet contains contact details of some of the organisations that support anyone affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). Everyone experiences MS differently, whether you are a person with MS, a family member, a friend or work colleague, you may require different types of support at different times.
This list is not exhaustive, but contains details of the main organisations that you may need in your journey with MS.
If you would rather speak to someone about an issue that is concerning you, then please contact our MS-UK Helpline on 0800 783 0518.
Aids, adaptations and equipment
Canine Partners
Mill Lane, Heyshott
Nr Midhurst
West Sussex, GY29 0ED
Call 0845 658 0480
Assisting people with disabilities to enjoy greater independence and a better quality of life, by providing specially trained assistance dogs.
Calibre Audio Library
Aylesbury
Bucks, HP22 5XQ
Call 01296 432339
Cailbre Audio Library is a national charity providing a subscription-free service of unabridged audio books for adults and children with sight problems, dyslexia and other disabilities, who cannot read print.
Disabled Living Foundation
Unit 1, 34 Chatfield Road
Wandsworth
London, SW11 3SE
Call 0300 999 0004
Provides free impartial advice on all types of equipment for disabled people.
Listening Books
FREEPOST
12 Lant Street
London, SE1 1QH
Call 0207 407 9417
Provides a postal and internet based audio book service to over 50,000 members who find it difficult to read printed work in the usual way.
Benefits
Benefits and Work
Benefits & Work Publishing
PO Box 4352
Warminster, BA12 2AF
Benefits and Work provides independent and accurate information about how to claim and keep your benefits. Benefits and Work was launched in 2002 by advice worker turned barrister Holiday Whitehead and benefits writer and trainer Steve Donnison, to provide just such information.
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP)
Benefits Enquiry Line
Call 0345 608 8545
For Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Call 0845 850 3322
A free helpline for Job Seekers Allowance (JSA), Income Support, Incapacity Benefit and Employment Support Allowance (ESA).
Disability Rights UK
Ground Floor
CAN Mezzanine
49-51 East Road
London, N1 6AH
Call 020 7250 8181 (Please note that there is a charge per minute for using this service. Please see the website for details)
Authors of the Disability Rights Handbook and supplier of the RADAR Key
The easy turn genuine RADAR Key opens over 10,000 locked public disabled toilets. These keys are available on-line from lots of reputable suppliers.
Turn2us
Turn2us is a national charity that helps people in financial hardship gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and support services.
Care and carers
Adult Social Care
Adult Social Care Services at your local council are the first step towards getting the help and support you need. They have a duty to assess your needs and also those of your family carer, if you request it. A health and social care assessment is carried out by social services to find out what help and support you need - like healthcare, equipment, help in your home or residential care. Visit the website to apply for an assessment in your area.
Carers UK
20 Great Dover Street
London, SE1 4LX
Call 020 7378 4999
Advice line 0808 808 7777
Carers UK provides help and advice to all carers across the UK.
Carers Wales
Unit 5 Ynys bridge Court
Cardiff, CF15 9SS
Call 029 2081 1370
Organisation for carers and their families to help with advice and information.
Carers Scotland
The Cottage
21 Pearce Street
Glasgow, G51 3UT
Call 01414 453070
Organisation for carers and their families to help with advice and information.
Carers Trust
32-36 Loman Street
London, SE1 0EH
Call 0300 772 9600
(For young carers)
Carers Trust believes in a world where the role and contribution of unpaid carers is recognised and they have access to the quality support and services they need to live their own lives.
Care Choices
Call 0800 389 2077
A resource for social care services in your area. Care Choices has 20 years of experience in the care sector and is the largest publisher of official care directories for local authorities in England.
Care Quality Commission
CQC National Customer Service Centre
Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PA
Call 0300 061 6161
The CQC is an independent regulator of health and social care in England. It monitors, inspects and regulates health and social care services. It also publishes what it finds, including ratings to help people choose care.
Include Programme for Young Carers (The Childrens Society)
Unit 4 Calford House
Wessex Business Park
Wessex Way
Colden Common
SO21 1WP
Call 01962 711511
Grants
Disability Grants UK
This website provides information on charities and trusts who provide grants in the UK. Disability Grants does not award funding or have any money for grants.
Turn2us
Turn2us is a national charity that helps people in financial hardship gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and support services.
Housing
Own your own home
Government site committed to helping working people buy a home of their own and to increasing the supply of affordable homes to buy.
Information and education
Ability Net
Call 0800 269545
A UK based charity helping disabled adults and children use computers and the internet by adapting and adjusting their technology.
Barts MS Blog
The aim of this Blog is for the Barts and The London Neuroimmunology Group to update you on the latest research in MS with an emphasis on the research we are involved in.
British Red Cross
UK Office,
44 Moorfields
London, EC2Y 9AL
Call 0344 871 11 11 (+ 44 207 138 7900 from abroad)
Text 020 7562 2050
One of the many ways in which the British Red Cross works to help others is to provide support at home, transport and mobility aids to people when they face a crisis in their daily lives.
Changing Places
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Call 020 7696 6019
In Scotland
Call 01382 385 154
Changing Places campaign for fully accessible toilets.
Citizens Advice
Consumer Helpline
Call (England) 03454 040506
Call (Wales) 03454 040505
(Please note there is a charge per minute for using this service. Please see the website for details)
Helps people resolve legal, financial and other problems by providing help and advice.
Dial UK – part of Scope Information and Advice Services
Scope
6 Market Road
London, N7 9PW
Call 0800 800 3333
An independent network of local disability information and advice services run by and for disabled people.
Focus On Disability
The mobile-friendly website providing online support, information and products for disabled people, the elderly and their carers in the UK.
MS International Federation
3rd Floor Skyline House
Union Street
London, SE1 0LX
Call 0207 620 1911
Independent information from MS professionals worldwide.
Independent living support
Home Improvement Agencies
The Old Co-op Building
11 Railway street,
Glossop
Derbyshire, SK13 7A
Call 0300 124 0315
Home Improvement Agencies are local, trusted organisations that help older, disabled and vulnerable people to live a good life for longer. They offer reliable information and advice and support people to make modifications to their homes as their health and needs change through later years especially.
There are nearly 200 HIAs in England, covering 82% of local authorities.
Living Made Easy
Call 0300 999 0004
Opening time 10am - 4pm (Tue,Wed and Thu)
Provides independent advice about independent living for disabled adults and children, older people, their carers and families.
UKHCA
Sutton Business Centre
Restmor Way
Wallington
Surrey, SM6 7AH
Call 020 8661 8188
United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA) is the professional association of home care providers in the independent, voluntary, not-for-profit sector.
Symptom support
The Bladder and Bowel Community
7 The Court
Holywell Business Park
Northfields Road
Southam, CV47 0FS
Call 01926 357220
Freephone 0800 031 5412 (medical help line)
Provides information and support for people with bladder and bowel disorders, their carers, families and healthcare professionals.
Bladder and Bowel UK (formerly PromoCon)
Call 01616 078 219
Helping to improve the life of all people with bladder and/or bowel problems by offering impartial advice and product information, and practical solutions to both professionals and the general public. They offer the National Confidential Bladder and Bowel UK helpline for individuals and healthcare professionals.
The British Pain Society
Third Floor
Churchill House
35 Red Lion Square
London, WC1R 4SG
Call 0207 269 7840
Advice on self-help pain management programmes for those with chronic, persistent pain.
MS Decisions – MS Trust
This tool kit, devised by the MS Trust, is a guide to the disease modifying drugs approved for treating relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis in the UK.
Each drug offers a different combination of benefits and risks. These webpages will help you explore your options and help you discuss starting or switching between one of the drugs with your MS team.
The Pain Tool Kit
The Pain Toolkit is for people who live with persistent pain and healthcare teams who support them.
Legal
ACAS
Call 0300 123 1100
ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) provides free and impartial information and advice to employers and employees on all aspects of workplace relations and employment law. This service supports good relationships between employers and employees which underpin business success. But when things go wrong it helps by providing conciliation to resolve workplace problems.
Disability Law Service
39-45 Cavell Street
London, E1 2BP
Call 0207 791 9800
Provides free legal advice to people with disabilities and their carers to ensure that they have access to their rights and justice.
Equality & Human Rights Commission
Equality Advisory Support Services
FREEPOST
EASS Helpline FPN6521
Call 0808 800 0082
For advice and support about discrimination and human rights.
Law Centres Network
Law Centres offer legal advice, casework and representation to individuals and groups. Spotting local trends and issues in the course of their work, they highlight them to bring about necessary policy changes and to prevent future problems. Law Centres also help build capacity within local communities by training and supporting local groups and educating people about the law and their rights.
Motoring
Disabled Motoring UK
National Headquarters
Ashwellthorpe
Norwich, NR16 1EX
Call 01508 489449
Information for disabled motorists and their carers.
Driving Mobility
Call 0800 559 3636
A network of centres which offer high-quality information, assessment and advice about mobility.
Motability Car Scheme
Call 0845 456 4566
Enables disabled people to use their government-funded mobility allowances to obtain a new car, powered wheelchair or scooter.
RDAC – Regional Driving Assessment Centre
Unit 11, Network Park,
Duddeston Mill Road,
Saltley
Birmingham, B8 1AU
Call 0300 300 2240 or 01213 594 222
Miscellaneous
Blue Badge
These parking permits allow disabled drivers and passengers to park nearer to where they're going - find out more about Blue Badges from your local council.
To find your local council go to
Disability, Pregnancy & Parenthood International (DPPI)
The London Fashion Centre
89-93 Fonthill Road
London, N4 3JH
Call 0800 018 4730
Supports pregnancy and parenthood for people with disabilities.
MASIS
Mobility and Support Information Service
Address methods to help boost self-esteem and wellbeing of disabled people (and individuals with long-term health conditions) enabling them to play as active roles in society as possible. MASIS cannot address all issues, but as a result of links established with numerous charities as well as government departments and organisations, MASIS knows the people who can provide expert disability information and support.
NHS Choices
Call 111 for non-emergency medical advice
Therapists in MS (TIMS)
Call 01462 476704
An initiative which brings together allied health professionals who share a special interest in multiple sclerosis.
UKMSSNA
PO Box 63
Little Marcle
Ledbury
Herefordshire, HR8 1L
Call 01531 670481
The United Kingdom Multiple Sclerosis Specialist Nurse Association (UKMSSNA) is the professional membership organisation for Clinical Nurse Specialists in MS and for other health and social care professionals with an interest in the care of people with MS in the United Kingdom.
RICA – Research Institute for Consumer Affairs
G03, The Wenlock
50-52 Wharf Road
London, N1 7EU
Call 0207 427 2460
They focus specifically on issues of concern to disabled and older consumers. RICA was founded through the Consumers Association, publishers of Which? but is now an independent charity.
National MS charities
MS-UK
Unsworth House
Hythe Quay
Colchester
Essex, CO7 8JF
Call 01206 226500
Helpline 0800 783 0518
MS-UK was established in 1993, and is a national charity dedicated to empowering people with multiple sclerosis to make the most of today, and live life to the full.
We put people affected by MS at the heart of our work. We provide high quality, professional services to support people living with multiple sclerosis, and we listen to people affected by MS.
Multiple Sclerosis Society
327 Edgware Road
London, NW2 6ND
Call 0208 438 0700
Helpline 0808 800 8000
This organisation has a focus on research and better treatments. They have invested nearly £6 million in MS nurses since 1999 and award 2,000 grants every year.The MS Society has an online community on their website used by 20,000 people affected by MS. They publish the MS Matters magazine three times per year.
MS Trust
Spirella Building
Bridge Road
Letchworth Garden City
Hertfordshire, SG6 4ET
Call 01462 476700
Freephone 0800 032 3839
The MS Trust is a UK charity that believes that no one should have to manage MS alone. They produce MS information you can trust and support the MS specialist health professionals. They fund a small number of NHS MS nurses and create business cases for the NHS to continue to fund them.
Mutual Support
Call 0789 421 5584
Mutual Support exists for serving and ex-serving members of the Armed Forces and Reserves, their dependents and carers affected by multiple sclerosis.
MS National Therapy Centres (MSNTC)
PO Box 2199
Buckingham, MK18 8AR
Call 01296 711699
MS National Therapy Centres (MSNTC) is an MS charity providing support to people living with multiple sclerosis in the UK. You can find an MS therapy centre near you on their website.
National MS Society – United States
The most recent news about MS from the Society and across the globe - from research and treatments to activism to fundraising and philanthropy - and more.
Shift.ms
This is a social network for people with MS. An online community of people connecting about their experiences and offering peer support. They have over 13,000 registered members and receive35,000 monthly visitors to their site. Shift MS helps people with MS to acknowledge and actively manage their condition by creating a self-sustaining community organisation, run by its members.
Updated August 2017