20,000 people in Britain are left unemployed every month due to mental health problems
Thousands of people in Britain are deemed unfit for work every month due to mental health problems, figures show.
According to official data published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), at least 20,000 disability benefit claims are for mental health problems – more than two-thirds of the total.
Previous figures have shown that mental health and learning difficulties are among the biggest contributors to disability benefits, which are paid regardless of a person’s ability to work. But until now there has been no such data for disability benefits paid through Universal Credit when people struggle to work.
Figures from the DWP show that 2 million people are receiving universal health benefits, an increase of 400,000 in a year, with 69% of them considered unsuitable for any work.
Of all assessments made in the last two years, 69% were for “mental and behavioral disorders”. Back and joint problems were mentioned in 48% of claims, while nerve diseases such as chronic pain and metabolic problems such as diabetes and obesity were each mentioned in 15%.
Heart disease and other circulatory and digestive problems were mentioned in more than 20% of cases. Cancer and some terminal diseases are believed to be under-represented in the data, which does not yet cover all claims.
Claimants have an average of 2.7 health problems, prompting experts to warn there is no quick fix to benefits rising due to increasingly complex diseases. Officials emphasize that the data does not distinguish between the leading causes of illness.
Christopher Rocks, from the Health Foundation think tank, said the data “reinforces the increasing importance of mental health to people’s ability to work”.
“Poor health is pushing more and more people into unemployment benefits and has a significant impact on the economy,” he said, calling for “tailored support” rather than a government crackdown on job seekers.
“Some recent government measures are a step in the right direction, but can be scaled up and go further,” he said. “However, measures that limit the right to benefits for people with work-limiting health problems risk being counterproductive.”
Nil Güzelgün, from mental health charity Mind, said the data “highlights the acute need for mental health support”, citing the 1.9 million people on waiting lists for mental health treatment NHS healthcare.
“People would love to work if they had access to the mental health care they need, but that support just isn’t there,” she said. “People should receive tailored support from experts if they want to return to work, and not face the threat of losing the little money they currently have to live on.”
A DWP spokesperson said: “Our ground-breaking welfare reforms will reduce the number of people placed on the highest level of disability benefits by more than 370,000 and offer them personalized support instead, while our Job Guarantee opportunity will enable people to to try to work. without fear of losing their benefits.”