‘It is time to make this system fit for purpose – and that should be to help people recover to better mental health.’ – Jo Anderson, SAMH
Scotland’s leading mental health charity, SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) welcomed Joanna Cherry MP to their Redhall service to help launch a new report last week.
The ‘Fir for Purpose’ report documents the negative impact the welfare system has had on 15 people participating in SAMH’s therapeutic gardening programme. The report calls for an end to benefit sanctions which put undue stress on people with mental health problems.
Last year, one of the participants highlighted the negative impact this had on their health:
‘Well, last year my psychiatrist was reducing my medication. When I got this letter from the DWP… I had to stop that and increase my medication again… Suicidal thoughts are massively increased. Urges for self-harm massively increased. Basically, when it comes to getting reassessed, every other part of my life kind of shuts down because it just has a really bad effect on me. It’s almost as if they were to design a process to make it as difficult as possible to stay alive, this is exactly how they would do it.’
The key findings of the report are:
- There was a lack of understanding about mental health throughout the assessment process, with those responsible appearing not to be well trained or experienced in mental health.
- Those who experienced repeated reassessments or challenging a poor decision found the experience very stressful, which can have an adverse effect of an individual’s recovery.
- SAMH is calling for the Scottish Government to ensure that when it takes over the Work Choice programme for disabled people in 2017, it also takes the opportunity to incorporate tailored support for individuals in order to help more people into work and stay mentally well.
Joanna Cherry MP was elected to represent Edinburgh South West in May. She is a QC and recently co-authored the textbook “Mental Health and Scots Law in Practice’. The new local MP said: “The findings from SAMH’s Fit for Purpose report are quite distressing and highlight the real need for a review of how Work Capability Assessments are conducted and monitored effectively.
“The Redhall service offers a great environment for people to receive training and learn to cope with challenges while recovering from enduring mental health problems. I have met some very inspirational people who have overcome huge obstacles in their life and it is important that both the UK and Scottish Government work together and ensure nothing stands in the way of each person’s recovery.”
Jo Anderson, Director for External Affairs at SAMH said: “We are very grateful to Joanna Cherry for supporting our calls for a review to the Work Capability Assessment, with many of those interviewed stating that their mental health had deteriorated as a result of these changes.
“The majority of people with mental health problems continue to be placed on the Work Programme as opposed to the more successful Work Choice, which offers specialised employment support to people with disabilities and other health issues.
“It is time to make this system fit for purpose – and that should be to help people recover to better mental health.”
If you would like to download a copy of SAMH’s Fit for Purpose report, please visit: www.samh.org.uk/our-work/public-affairs/financewelfare
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