Four leading mental health organisations have today united in
calling on the Government to ensure that any welfare reform
measures in the Queen's Speech give the best possible support for
people with mental health problems to find and keep jobs.
In a joint statement, Professor Dinesh Bhugra, president of the
Royal College of Psychiatrists, Paul Farmer, chief executive of
Mind, Angela Greatley, chief executive of Sainsbury Centre, and
Paul Jenkins, chief executive of Rethink, said:
"People with mental health problems will be one of the largest
groups affected by the welfare reform agenda. International
research shows that people with mental health problems want to work
and by doing what works the majority of people can be supported
into employment. Support should be offered to everyone - no
matter what mental health problem they have - with a minimal
threat of benefit penalties. Failing to follow the evidence, or
taking too punitive an approach to those with these problems, will
seriously undermine the Government's ambition to reduce the
overall number of long-term unemployed.
"Flexible support is vital. The Government has already
recognised this by pledging to develop a national strategy for
mental health and employment. We welcome the Government's
commitment to pilot a scheme to place employment specialists in
workplaces, helping to identify the necessary adaptations needed to
help people with mental health problems remain in work.
"In the last recession, many people with mental health problems
were written off as unemployable when they lost their jobs. Another
recession will undoubtedly put pressure on the Government's
initiatives to support people in finding and holding on to jobs.
But we must ensure that we offer the right help at the right time
to people experiencing mental health problems, or we run the risk
of creating a new 'lost generation'."
For further information, please contact Liz Fox or Deborah
Hart in the Communications Department.
Telephone: 020 7235 2351 Extensions. 6298 or 6127
Note to editors:
The Queen's Speech takes place on 3 December 2008. It is likely to include proposals for a Welfare Reform Bill based on the Green Paper, No One Written Off, published earlier in 2008, and the recommendations of Professor Paul Gregg's report, More Support, Higher Expectations, published on 2 December 2008.