The government is considering a plan to send job coaches to visit mental health patients in hospitals to help them return to work, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall announced. This initiative follows trials in which employment advisers offered support, such as CV writing and interview preparation, in hospitals. Kendall praised these trials for yielding “dramatic results” and suggested expanding the program to reduce the UK’s disability benefits spending.
Disability rights advocates, however, have raised concerns, warning that such interventions could negatively impact patients’ mental health. Mikey Erhardt from Disability Rights UK criticized the idea of turning hospitals, places for care and healing, into work-related environments. James Taylor from Scope called for evidence showing that job coaches visiting seriously ill individuals would not cause harm or distress.
The move comes as the cost of disability benefits is projected to rise significantly in the next few years. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) could spend £63 billion on disability benefits by 2028-29, up from £48 billion in 2023-24. Kendall emphasized the need to reduce these costs by helping people return to work, believing it would be beneficial for their mental health and financial independence. She also hinted that some people might lose their benefits, noting that the current system sometimes discourages work.
Kendall highlighted the success of pilot programs in Leicester and at the Maudsley Hospital in London, where patients with severe mental health conditions were offered employment support. She said these efforts demonstrated that work can improve mental health. However, Erhardt questioned whether such programs are appropriate, calling it inappropriate to subject patients to job-related assessments while they are receiving care. Minesh Patel from Mind expressed concern, stressing the importance of compassionate care for those with serious mental health issues and calling for more transparency about the program’s effectiveness.
The government’s proposal also comes amid rising disability benefit costs. The cost of certain benefits is expected to rise by 1.7% next April, lower than the projected 4.1% increase in the state pension. Meanwhile, disability benefits, including personal independence payments and carer’s allowance, are legally required to rise in line with inflation. The government is preparing a white paper outlining plans for reforming benefits, which may include changes to eligibility criteria.
Kendall also pointed out the UK’s high rate of “economic inactivity” – 21.8% of people aged 16 to 64 are neither working nor actively looking for work, a figure that has remained high since the pandemic. She attributed this in part to health issues and urged employers to be more flexible in accommodating workers with mental health conditions. Additionally, Kendall revealed plans to merge job centers with the national careers service and use AI to provide more personalized support, while maintaining face-to-face help for those who need it most. She echoed calls from Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham for more regional control over job centers to better match local workers with vacancies.
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