Petition · past parliament
Make agoraphobia a recognised disability
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
Agoraphobia is not recognised as a debilitating disability , as such we do not get treated the same as other people with housebound disabilities , we are unable to get the gp to do home visits , vaccinations at home and receive support via community mental health or relevant local community services
Being agoraphobic is a debilitating disability within the brackets of anxiety but leaves us unable to lead normal lives , we are unable to leave our homes or receive visitors in some cases , limited contact with the outside world , for those who are able to leave the house there is lack is support. Doctors do not take agoraphobia seriously and as such refuse to do home visits for a majority of people with agoraphobia resulting in not getting treatment
Why it was rejected
It was not clear what the petition asked the UK Government or Parliament to do.
The Government's guidance on disability under the Equality Act 2010 states that you’re disabled if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities:
https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010
It is therefore already the case that under the Equality Act, anyone with a physical or a mental condition which has a substantial and long-term impact on your ability to do normal day to day activities is protected under the disability protected characteristic. This could cover people who have agoraphobia, where this has a a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities.
We could accept a petition calling on the Government to fund increased support for people with agoraphobia, if that's something you'd like to happen.
https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010
It is therefore already the case that under the Equality Act, anyone with a physical or a mental condition which has a substantial and long-term impact on your ability to do normal day to day activities is protected under the disability protected characteristic. This could cover people who have agoraphobia, where this has a a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities.
We could accept a petition calling on the Government to fund increased support for people with agoraphobia, if that's something you'd like to happen.
Timeline
| 31 Aug 2022 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 5 Sep 2022 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
5 Sep 2022
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.