Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that the sanctions regime does not disadvantage those who experience mental health challenges.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Customers in the No Work Related Requirements Group, for example those with a severe mental health condition or disability, are not subject to conditionality requirements and therefore not subject to sanctions.

Customers are only ever sanctioned if they fail to meet their agreed requirements without good reason and they are given every opportunity to explain why they failed to meet their agreed conditionality requirement before a decision is made. We recognise the importance of understanding how a mental health condition impacts someone’s ability to search for or prepare for work and Claimant Commitments are set in discussion with the claimant and tailored to their capability and circumstances, making them realistic and achievable.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that obligations under the Equalities Act 2010 are taken into account when developing policies on support for people with mental health challenges.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The DWP is proudly committed to becoming a more Trauma Informed organisation. The potential merits of the adoption of the Trauma Informed Approach into DWP services, will benefit all customers including those with mental ill health who are unemployed. Adopting the principles of the approach into the core of our business will help us to ensure that anyone interacting with our services feels as safe, empowered and understood as possible; this will underpin our ongoing commitment to compassionate coaching and tailored services.

We have a dedicated programme which will integrate the six key pillars of the approach as defined by the Office for Health Improvements and Disparities (December, 2022) which are safety, trustworthiness, choice, empowerment, collaboration and cultural consideration. Our programme looks at these six pillars within the contexts of application to our colleagues, our customers, our culture, and the context of our interaction- whether that is a physical, telephony, digital or postal interaction. There is significant emphasis within the design of the programme regarding what more can be done to prevent trauma and re-traumatisation for both our customers and our colleagues. We are learning from best practice demonstrated by organisations such as NHS Education Scotland, Work Services Australia and the Wales ACES Hub to shape the future prioritisation of this work.

When developing policies, the Department routinely carries out assessments against the Public Sector Equality Duty to ensure that due regard is given to our responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the efficacy of removing benefits from, and applying sanctions to, claimants with mental health conditions after 18 months in the context of their ‘Back To Work’ plan launched on 16 November.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Claimants must meet certain requirements to receive their UC payment. These will be based on individual and household information and will take account of health, caring responsibilities, ongoing work or volunteering and any earnings. All requirements are set in discussion with the claimant and tailored to their capability and circumstances, making them realistic and achievable.

Claimants are given every opportunity to explain why they failed to meet their agreed conditionality requirement before a decision is made. We recognise the importance of understanding how a mental health condition impacts someone’s ability to search for or prepare for work. Claimants with serious mental health conditions are typically placed in the No Work-Related Requirements regime and are exempt from any form of conditionality and sanctions.

As announced in the Back to Work plan, individuals, following their completion of Restart, will have a Claimant Commitment review meeting with their work coach where new requirements will be set according to the claimants’ circumstances. Claimants will be expected to accept this revised Claimant Commitment in order to continue to receive their benefits. Should a claimant fail to accept their commitment within the 7-day period their claim will be closed as per the current process.

Where a claimant in a conditionality regime fails to comply with a mandatory work-related requirement, they have the opportunity to provide good reason before a sanction decision is made. Additionally, a pre-referral quality check is in place to check for any known vulnerabilities before a claimant is referred for a sanction decision and following a referral, cases are reviewed to ensure that the mandatory requirement set was fair, and to check whether a conditionality easement should have been applied.

If a sanction is applied and the claimant disagrees with the decision, they can ask for this to be looked at again by way of a Mandatory Reconsideration. If they further disagree with the outcome of the Mandatory Reconsideration, they can raise an appeal for the sanction decision to be looked at by an independent tribunal.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people on benefits who have received mental health support in each year since 2010.

Answered by Chloe Smith

No specific assessment has been made on the impact on the mental health of people receiving benefits of the recent increase in the cost of living. The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living: that is why it is providing over £37 billion of support this year. This includes the £650 Cost of Living Payment which is designed to target support at low-income households on means-tested benefits. In addition, 6 million eligible disabled people will receive a one-off, disability Cost of Living Payment of £150. And pensioner households will receive a separate one-off payment of £300 (through and as an addition to the Winter Fuel Payment).

People that are receiving benefits can access mental health support in a number of ways such as seeking a referral from GP in the first instance. In addition, all NHS mental health providers have established 24/7 all-age urgent mental health helplines for people in crisis or for those worried about someone who may be experiencing a mental health crisis. Details of these helplines are available on the NHS website at: Where to get urgent help for mental health - NHS (www.nhs.uk). Administrative data on mental health support and benefit receipt are not routinely linked so we cannot estimate the number of people on benefits who receive mental health support.

Evidence suggests that good, appropriate paid work can be beneficial for individuals' health and wellbeing. We offer specialist support for people with mental health conditions to stay in and return to work, often working jointly with the health system, through:

• our Employment Advice in Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (EAs in IAPT) services. Since 2017 we have invested a total of £82million on expanding the number of EAs in IAPT services and we have committed to expand the service across England. Evidence on EAs in IAPT found that those receiving employment support in addition to mental health support showed greater improvements to their mental health compared to those receiving mental health support alone. In addition, those out of work on entry to the EAs in IAPT service were more likely to be active in the labour market (through employment or looking for employment) at the end of their treatment than those receiving mental health support alone. Employment Advisers (EAs) work with JCP colleagues to ensure that JCP clients who could benefit from IAPT treatment are signposted to receive an IAPT assessment.
• the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service
• the Mental Health and Productivity Pilot across the Midlands Engine region, which seeks out opportunities to improve productivity through improving employee's mental health.
• our trials of Individual Placement and Support for people with common mental health and/or physical health conditions.

We will also work closely with DHSC and other government departments in supporting the new cross government 10-year plan for mental health and wellbeing for England.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what resources her Department has allocated to improving the mental health of people receiving benefits.

Answered by Chloe Smith

No specific assessment has been made on the impact on the mental health of people receiving benefits of the recent increase in the cost of living. The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living: that is why it is providing over £37 billion of support this year. This includes the £650 Cost of Living Payment which is designed to target support at low-income households on means-tested benefits. In addition, 6 million eligible disabled people will receive a one-off, disability Cost of Living Payment of £150. And pensioner households will receive a separate one-off payment of £300 (through and as an addition to the Winter Fuel Payment).

People that are receiving benefits can access mental health support in a number of ways such as seeking a referral from GP in the first instance. In addition, all NHS mental health providers have established 24/7 all-age urgent mental health helplines for people in crisis or for those worried about someone who may be experiencing a mental health crisis. Details of these helplines are available on the NHS website at: Where to get urgent help for mental health - NHS (www.nhs.uk). Administrative data on mental health support and benefit receipt are not routinely linked so we cannot estimate the number of people on benefits who receive mental health support.

Evidence suggests that good, appropriate paid work can be beneficial for individuals' health and wellbeing. We offer specialist support for people with mental health conditions to stay in and return to work, often working jointly with the health system, through:

• our Employment Advice in Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (EAs in IAPT) services. Since 2017 we have invested a total of £82million on expanding the number of EAs in IAPT services and we have committed to expand the service across England. Evidence on EAs in IAPT found that those receiving employment support in addition to mental health support showed greater improvements to their mental health compared to those receiving mental health support alone. In addition, those out of work on entry to the EAs in IAPT service were more likely to be active in the labour market (through employment or looking for employment) at the end of their treatment than those receiving mental health support alone. Employment Advisers (EAs) work with JCP colleagues to ensure that JCP clients who could benefit from IAPT treatment are signposted to receive an IAPT assessment.
• the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service
• the Mental Health and Productivity Pilot across the Midlands Engine region, which seeks out opportunities to improve productivity through improving employee's mental health.
• our trials of Individual Placement and Support for people with common mental health and/or physical health conditions.

We will also work closely with DHSC and other government departments in supporting the new cross government 10-year plan for mental health and wellbeing for England.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the impact on the mental health of people receiving benefits of the recent increase in the cost of living.

Answered by Chloe Smith

No specific assessment has been made on the impact on the mental health of people receiving benefits of the recent increase in the cost of living. The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living: that is why it is providing over £37 billion of support this year. This includes the £650 Cost of Living Payment which is designed to target support at low-income households on means-tested benefits. In addition, 6 million eligible disabled people will receive a one-off, disability Cost of Living Payment of £150. And pensioner households will receive a separate one-off payment of £300 (through and as an addition to the Winter Fuel Payment).

People that are receiving benefits can access mental health support in a number of ways such as seeking a referral from GP in the first instance. In addition, all NHS mental health providers have established 24/7 all-age urgent mental health helplines for people in crisis or for those worried about someone who may be experiencing a mental health crisis. Details of these helplines are available on the NHS website at: Where to get urgent help for mental health - NHS (www.nhs.uk). Administrative data on mental health support and benefit receipt are not routinely linked so we cannot estimate the number of people on benefits who receive mental health support.

Evidence suggests that good, appropriate paid work can be beneficial for individuals' health and wellbeing. We offer specialist support for people with mental health conditions to stay in and return to work, often working jointly with the health system, through:

• our Employment Advice in Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (EAs in IAPT) services. Since 2017 we have invested a total of £82million on expanding the number of EAs in IAPT services and we have committed to expand the service across England. Evidence on EAs in IAPT found that those receiving employment support in addition to mental health support showed greater improvements to their mental health compared to those receiving mental health support alone. In addition, those out of work on entry to the EAs in IAPT service were more likely to be active in the labour market (through employment or looking for employment) at the end of their treatment than those receiving mental health support alone. Employment Advisers (EAs) work with JCP colleagues to ensure that JCP clients who could benefit from IAPT treatment are signposted to receive an IAPT assessment.
• the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service
• the Mental Health and Productivity Pilot across the Midlands Engine region, which seeks out opportunities to improve productivity through improving employee's mental health.
• our trials of Individual Placement and Support for people with common mental health and/or physical health conditions.

We will also work closely with DHSC and other government departments in supporting the new cross government 10-year plan for mental health and wellbeing for England.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department offers mental health support to claimants who have had their benefits stopped and have experienced problems with their mental health.

Answered by Chloe Smith

We have taken steps to increase staff awareness of the mental health difficulties that may be experienced by our customers, so they can direct them to further support at any stage of the claimant journey. For example, we introduced mental health training for UC Work Coaches in late 2017; this has better equipped them to identify customers’ mental health issues and take appropriate action. We have also made mental health training mandatory for all new Personal Independent Payment and Employment Support Allowance telephony staff.

Every Jobcentre has a complex needs toolkit containing links to local organisations which can help and provide support. The toolkit was developed to support claimants with various complex needs, including by signposting them to appropriate organisations and services. Designated contacts from each jobcentre attended training sessions where they were taught how to use the toolkit. The toolkit is now covered within UC training for all new starters.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact that the re-introduction of conditionality requirements has had on the mental health of benefit claimants.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Departmental guidance is continually reviewed and updated to ensure it reflects the changes to public health guidelines and easements due to Covid-19.

We believe it is important to ensure claimants have the support they need to move closer to and into employment if and when they are able. As such, for claimants who are expected to look for work, any work-related requirements are set in discussion with them and will always be tailored to their individual capability and circumstances, making them realistic and achievable.

We ensure that our more vulnerable claimants are further protected by exempting those with more serious medical conditions including mental health conditions and disabilities from any form of conditionality.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that mental health is included in the decision-making processes on provision of social security.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The impact of a claimant's mental health is taken fully into consideration when deciding on their entitlement to health and disability benefits. Decision makers receive mental health awareness training, have access to guidance and to the support of healthcare professionals when considering entitlement to benefit. The Green Paper on health and disability benefits, which was published on 20 July, explores how the welfare system can better meet the needs of disabled people, including those with mental health conditions, now and in the future, to build a system that enables people not only to receive the benefits to which they are entitled but to live independently, and move into work where possible.