Mental Illness: Debts

(asked on 1st March 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of debt and financial difficulty on recovery rates of people with mental health problems.


Answered by
Jackie Doyle-Price Portrait
Jackie Doyle-Price
This question was answered on 6th March 2018

We know that mental health services, including Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services, may signpost patients to debt advice services as part of their care. General practitioner (GP) practices would also signpost patients to debt advice services as part of their care and some practices have arrangements in place with local Citizens Advice Bureaux and debt advice services to provide outreach support in primary care.

In January 2017, my Rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced the Government would review the practice of GPs charging patients experiencing debt issues to complete Mental Health Evidence Forms when they require medical evidence for their creditors. The Department is working with the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute and a range of stakeholders from the financial and debt advice sectors and the British Medical Association to undertake the review.

The Government recognises the impact that debt may have on mental health and wellbeing and the difficulties that may be experienced by people with mental health problems in managing their debt. The review has also considered the impact of debt and financial difficulties on people with mental health problems, including the potential impact on recovery.

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