The clichéd, negative responses and attitudes in our society to people who are termed sick and disabled and on long term benefits are well worn. They are “exploiting the system”, “a skiver”, “playing the mental health card”, etc. They are immediately seen by some as morally reprehensible people and often just plain “bad”. Inevitably many conclude that the welfare system is too lenient. In its latest bid to shore up its support base, the UK Government has tapped into this mindset, turning its ire on people diagnosed with mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, and those seen as long term unemployed.
A welfare war on two fronts
Rishi Sunak has claimed the Tories are on a “moral mission” to get as many people into jobs as possible. This includes “personalising” any health assessment process towards an individual’s needs, to see what work they can do rather than none at all. They are also planning to cut benefit fraud by accessing personal financial data of benefit claimants, along with the details of anyone who is linked to the claim, such as partners, family members and landlords.
This is despite the fact that tax fraud in the UK costs nine times as much as benefit fraud. In addition, the proposed methods of accessing data are highly questionable and could be seen as a serious breach of people’s privacy and human rights. The process is likely to affect negatively the mental health of those already unwell, by increasing anxiety and paranoia. Government spokespeople claim that “third parties” will only have to share financial and related data if it is deemed relevant and of interest, but campaigners believe the DWP has a history of falsely accusing people of fraudulent activity.
The UK Government also notes that since the Covid outbreak, claims for personal independence payment, or PIP (in Scotland its replacement adult disability payment, or ADP, is still being rolled out) have more than doubled, with the main reasons for receiving it being depression and anxiety. This is understandable given the loneliness, fear and despair people experienced through both the primary and secondary effects of the illness, suffering its symptoms, losing loved ones and having to isolate from others for a prolonged period.
However, here the Tories imply there is a different explanation: people (especially the young) do not want to work. Unsurprisingly they do not cite any evidence for this suggestion, nor do they have, one assumes, personal knowledge of those they are tarring with this brush. They certainly cannot know the inner world or daily emotional and psychological struggles any of these people – none of us really can.
Mind games and state propaganda
One can debate the merits of the medical model approach, and how helpful this model is for anyone experiencing mental distress, but this distress is very real, and as far as the welfare system goes, providing a catch-all term is key. So to claim benefits, a diagnosis from a doctor is required. The Tories are therefore by implication calling into question the judgement of those who have completed many years of training and garnered relevant knowledge. Disability News Service reports that work coaches could soon decide on what claimants with health conditions are capable of doing as part of getting back to paid employment. The negative psychological effects of navigating the UK benefits system have been well documented, although popular media has mostly ignored this, opting instead to run with claims of a nation of feckless and workshy skivers. Prescribing treatment in place of welfare payments is also counterproductive, as therapy or medication does not pay the bills, and poorer mental health is linked to poverty.
Some have argued that the Tories are simply fighting “culture wars” over mental health in the same way they have targeted other minority groups; that it is a timely distraction from their growing irrelevance and disastrous governance. The more people are looking in the opposite direction, rather than at their ineptitude, the greater number of Tory votes in the upcoming general election. One could argue that using vulnerable people as political footballs is crass and amoral, but all political parties do it or are capable of it. The Scottish Government has attempted to mitigate the effects of Tory policies on welfare, but it does not have full control over every benefit available, which means only so much can be done. At present the SNP seems to have a fairer and more compassionate approach to claimants, but no one knows the future, and the reality for any ruling party is that when the economic chips are down it is a lot easier to target the powerless than the powerful. Whereas it may seem more reasonable to clamp down on tax avoidance, the media and related establishment have a vested interest in keeping out any government suggesting this as a future policy.
Mental health services are inadequate in all parts of the UK, Scotland being no exception. They are underfunded and under pressure. It is maybe no surprise that so many have psychological issues in a broken world centred around the pursuit of money, where people are reduced to numbers on a screen and their value is assessed by their economic and social capital. Given the desire to include treatment as a part of getting people back to work, one must ask how this will be carried out in practice by an already overstretched NHS. With the advent of work coaches deciding what people are capable of, more will likely be found fit for work who are not, which will in turn worsen their mental health, adding to the stresses on the health sector. It may be that implementing these changes will simply contribute to the collapse of mental health services and for some any progress made could be seriously set back.
Reform that promotes mental wellbeing
Listening and adhering to the opinions of medical professionals who know the claimant well may be the best way to get a fair picture of their situation. If necessary a second, independent doctor’s view may be requested. The assumption that work is good for your mental health is a dangerous one, not least because a workplace can be toxic, and mental illness can seriously impede your ability to function healthily. One person diagnosed with depression may be able to work but another may not. An employer that is not understanding or supportive of an employee with mental health issues will be detrimental to them and their wellbeing, although they may not even want to employ them in the first place.
Having someone you can trust and talk to about your issues at work makes a big difference. Awareness training may be helpful, and while you cannot force anyone to be kind or compassionate, it may start conversations and foster healthier work relationships. Providing a counselling/listening service may be helpful. For some with mental health challenges, volunteering is a better fit, as they may have good days and bad days, and this is just as valid a form of work and likely more rewarding than the rat race of modern paid employment. Switching to a system of universal basic income could improve people’s psychological wellbeing, possibly because of its inbuilt “safety net”. It is something that, albeit in a different form, the Scottish Government has trialled, with potential for countrywide rollout.
The UK Government only seems interested in “reducing the welfare bill”, which will likely come at the expense of people’s mental wellbeing. Its proposals are pointless without proper mental health provision, so one wonders whether forcing people off benefits will increase rather than decrease costs. This ill-thought-out scheme intended to distract and occupy the masses will help no one, and certainly not a government running out of time and excuses for remaining in its position of power. As ever, it is the vulnerable who will suffer the most for its inadequacy.
More on human rights
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