What is Diabetes : Diabetes Symptoms : Diabetes Treatment : Diabetes Care : Diabetes Diet : Hypoglycaemia : Complications

Diabetes and Driving

People with Type 1 diabetes and those being treated with insulin are only eligible for an ordinary driving licence. They are not allowed to hold a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) licence or Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence or to drive a vehicle exceeding 3.5 tonnes.

Driving Insurance

Your insurance company needs to be informed that you have diabetes. Unfortunately, many insurance companies charge higher premiums for people with diabetes although there is little justification for doing so, since statistics do not reveal a greater accident rate for those with the condition. If you feel that your premiums are being loaded unfairly, contact Diabetes UK which runs a helpline specifically dealing with insurance.

Life Insurance and other Insurances

Unfortunately, many insurance companies extract higher premiums for life insurance from people with diabetes, but the extent of this varies and it is well worth 'shopping around'. Diabetes UK is, once again, a useful source of information as its Financial Services department has a list of companies that charge more reasonable rates.

Diabetes and Employment

People being treated by diet generally should encounter few barriers in employment, unless they develop complications or are subject to hypoglycaemia. For those receiving insulin, a blanket ban prevents them from seeking employment in certain professions. These include the emergency services (police, fire and ambulance), train driving, airline pilot, airline cabin crew, air traffic control, working offshore, mining, working on a cruise liner, merchant navy, armed forces, post office driving, HGV or PSV driving, and, in some areas, taxi driving. If someone is already employed in one of these areas at the time of diagnosis, alternative work within the organization should be found. Diabetes UK firmly states that in most cases having diabetes should not be a barrier to employment and they not only uphold this position in a general way but will also, on occasion, take up individual cases in which there may have been discrimination.

When filling out application forms for employment, you should state that you have diabetes and the method used for treatment but there is no need to go into details. If asked about your diabetes at an interview, stress all the positive aspects such as the fact that you follow a healthy lifestyle and diet and that your condition is well controlled and does not prevent you from leading a normal life. Potential employers are generally only concerned about whether a condition will necessitate an employee having a lot of time off work and can be reassured on this point. As stated previously, it is best to explain to colleagues at work that you have diabetes and that you may need to eat snacks at certain times and may possibly require help in the event of a hypo.