1. mind.org.uk Mental health and the impacts of welfare reform

3. Content 1)The big picture 2)What support looks like? 3)Conditionality 4)What this means for people with MHPs 5)Mind’s campaigns on benefits

4. Over a third of people with mild to moderate MHPs, and almost two thirds of people with more SMHPs are unemployed 1.1 million people on Employment and Support Allowance because of their mental health problem – over half of claimants Work Programme has supported only 9 per cent of this cohort According to the CMO, 75 per cent of people with diagnosable mental illness receive no treatment at all Stigma from employers still prevalent 1) The big picture

5. Mental health trusts have faced 2 per cent cuts in real terms in the last two years Over 1/3 of people still come up against stigma and discrimination on a monthly or weekly basis Over 1,700 inpatient mental health beds have closed since 2011 1 in 10 people are waiting over a year between referral and assessment 4 in 10 wait more than three months between referral and assessment 1) The big picture

6. Poor gateway into welfare Lack of personalised and tailored support Payment and commissioning structures aren’t effective Lack of expertise and training Focus on “Work is good for you” mantra neglecting health support 2) What does support look like

7. Support is underpinned by the principle of conditionality which increased in the Welfare Reform Act 2012 There is no evidence that this works, yet it defines how support is delivered Claimants can lose their benefit for a specified period of time for very minor “offences” Conditionality is not balanced by effective employment support There were 20,000 sanctions for people with mental health problems last year 3) Conditionality

8. Current support is making people’s mental health worse and pushing them further from work Entrenched fear and negativity Second class citizens? 4) What does this mean for people with mental health problems

9. 5) Mind’s campaigns on benefits

10. Any questions?