The Centre for Mental Health has called for the Government to focus on ensuring people with mental health problems have the best possible support to get in and stay in employment.
This call came as the Government proposed to cap the annual rise in working-age benefits, including jobseeker’s allowance, some components of employment and support allowance (ESA), income support and elements of housing benefit, to 1% for the next 3 years. Traditionally, benefits have risen in line with inflation, which is currently 2.7%.
The proposed cap means that, in real terms, households receiving ESA will be £87.65 worse off per year, according to learning disability charity Mencap.
To counter this, the Government should ensure that people with mental health problems get the support they need to get in and stay in employment, according to Sean Duggan, chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health.
“Many people with mental health problems rely on benefits such as employment and support allowance,” he said. “If payments are to be capped, it is vital that no-one who needs it is denied the best possible help to get and keep paid work.
“Employment is an integral part of recovery and we know from research and practice that with the right support many people with a mental illness can find a job and stay in work. So the Government’s focus needs to be on ensuring that people get the right support into employment; and that, for example, the Work Programme properly caters for people with mental health problems.
“There is clear evidence that employment support is most effective for people with mental health problems if it is integrated with health care. This integrated approach (Individual Placement and Support or IPS) is more than twice as effective at enabling people with severe mental health problems to enter competitive work as any other type of employment support. Too many people are still not offered an IPS service and while it may not work for everyone, nobody who wants it should be denied good quality employment support.”
