Incapacity benefit reform: just half the story

24 January 2006

Mental Health charity Rethink today (January 24) gave a cautious welcome to government plans to support people with mental health problems back to work.

The plans:

  • Recognise the unacceptable fact that over 80 per cent of people with severe mental illness are not working, despite many wanting to
  • Put in place new support to help people back to work with targeted programmes, as piloted by Rethink
  • Introduce a notion of “something for something” where claimants have a new duty to take advantage of support and training schemes to help them get back to work

However, the plans:

  • Fail to recognise the high levels of employer discrimination faced by people with severe mental illness who want to return to work
  • Threaten people with unacceptable penalties if they are not yet ready to return to work.

Rethink operates over 400 support services, many with an employment focus, including the ground-breaking condition management programme in Derbyshire, part of the government's pilot programmes for getting people off Incapacity Benefit and back to work

Rethink chief executive Cliff Prior said: “The plans will give hope to hundreds of thousands of people who want to work but need specialist support to do so. But they will also strike fear into people struggling to survive on benefits who will fear that financial support is going to be withdrawn.

“There are a handful of excellent employers who recognise the value of employing people who have mental health problems – but mental health discrimination is widespread in the workplace.

“These plans would be greatly strengthened by government action to end labour market discrimination by employers.”

“We know from our own experience that many people with severe mental illness want to work and can work successfully. The barriers to people working consist of employer discrimination, labour market inflexibility and diminished personal aspirations.

“The government has announced a package that will go a little way to addressing some of these barriers, but it is only half the story.”


Notes to editors

Condition Management Programme (CMP)

Derbyshire

Rethink was commissioned by Central Derby PCT in March 2004 to provide professional services to the Condition Management Programme within Derbyshire. The service contracted to be provided was a programme of group sessions aimed at helping people with mental health difficulties to be better prepared to return to work.

The Condition Management Programme is part of the government's Incapacity Benefits reforms.

The Condition Management Programme is part of the Pathways to Work and Choices Programme and is delivered by a variety of specialist providers. Rethink provides one element of the Condition Management programme.

The course consists of six days of group sessions. Currently we provide 18 courses per year and sub contract an additional 18 courses to an external training provider.

Incapacity Benefit National and Local Statistics:

  • 7.5% of the working age population of Great Britain are claiming Incapacity Benefit
  • Derbyshire is among the highest rates in the country with some PCT's exceeding 17%
  • Nationally 2.7 million people are receiving Incapacity Benefit
    50,000 of which live in Derbyshire
  • There are approximately 1,000 new claims per month within Derbyshire
  • The average length of a person claiming Incapacity Benefit is 9 years

Possible developments of CMP relating to severe mental illness:

  • Introduction of separate Self management Programme
  • Introduction of specialised Severe Mental Illness training course
  • Mental Health Awareness Training – Job Centre + mainstream employees
  • Link to Rethink Community Services for vocational and educational programmes, either via GP or secondary referral
  • Partnership with additional service providers around therapy based service delivery and Severe Mental Illness, either via GP or secondary referral
  • Support, training and educational programmes to employers and organisations around mental health issues and DDA
  • Peer groups established to support and encourage people through pathway and programme. Also to promote the service.
  • Anti- discrimination campaign aimed at statutory mental health providers, both at a primary and secondary level
  • Anti-discrimination campaign aimed at local business, industry and commerce

If you would like to visit the programme, contact Alita Howe on 020 7330 9149.

Service User Quotes:

  • “I didn't know there was this kind of help available. It's helping me to move on.”
  • “The Rethink course was brilliant! You are in a very relaxed atmosphere and there is no pressure. We had plenty of laughs and lots of fun. Some of the things I gained from the course are increased confidence and self-esteem. I now want to go out and meet new people and make new friends. And I am now doing voluntary work because of the encouragement I received from them. You make lots of new friends on the course and everyone helps each other out. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone thinking of attending it.” 
  • “On the first morning I felt really churned up, really nervous about what to expect. But talking to (one of the members) was like holding up a mirror. We were both in the same boat, having had similar experiences. It was just amazing to talk to other people who knew exactly what life is like for me. It's a bit like a light being turned on.”

A Service User's perspective of the Condition Management Course run by Rethink in Derbyshire:

"This is how I feel on the subject of Rethink. For me it was a very pleasing discovery of how I could move forward in my life.

If you have been fortunate enough not to have suffered any form of mild depression to schizophrenia, you will never know the impact of a course like Rethink's, especially when you are almost ready to enter again into the big wide world as a normal human being. It is one of the biggest steps I took and I am so pleased to have done so.

I was introduced to the Condition Management Programme by Kay my Psychotherapist.

The course is run in a very informal manner. You are not pushed into joining in if you feel you don't want to. Everything is done at a pace that seemed to please the group.

We were all greeted the first morning and made to feel welcome, that made a difference to me as I felt for the first time someone was glad to see me.

We had to set our own ground rules and stick to them, we learnt to set goals everyday, and we were asked if we had achieved them next time we were together.

I was not confident about going back to work; I can no longer do what I used to, (manual work), so I also felt very useless as I had no skills to bring to an employer.
I have now to retrain for a whole new career; what a very daunting prospect. In general I had a lack of self confidence and self awareness. I am still studying but with the hope that now I can be of use to someone some day and with a lot more confidence.

I had the greatest time on the Rethink course. I gained CONFIDENCE to do some of the little things people may take for granted. Gained SELF AWARENESS; I am a better person that I thought I was. I am now aware that I plot my life, and not anyone else. I gained friends I would never have made, and I gained SOCIAL SKILLS to enjoy and listen to other people. I gained the ABILITY TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS I would have normally have passed on to my husband. I have learnt to LAUGH more, HAVE FUN and ENJOY LIFE. All in all, Rethink made me do just that. Thank you very much.

This has been one of the best courses I had attended and would most definitely recommend it. The only problem I have, well I don't think it should ever end."

A Personal Story of stigma and discrimination

“At the age of sixteen I was diagnosed with a severe and enduring illness - bi-polar disorder. At this point I was told to forget about my forth coming GCSE's, any chance of going into further education and definitely that I would not work in the near future or quite possibly never. This was from a consultant in the child and adolescent services. Luckily for me I have incredibly supportive parents and this, coupled with my extreme stubbornness enabled me to finish my GCSE's, go to college and then at eighteen I went to work for Social Services.

I worked for Derbyshire Social Services for ten years within a variety of different positions but predominantly leading on all support relating to challenging behaviour with adults with learning disabilities in the Erewash PCT area within Derbyshire. I never disclosed to Social Services my diagnosis.

At the age of twenty-eight following a decline in my mental health, I disclosed to Social services my diagnosis – my employment was rapidly terminated on the grounds of ill health with no appeal, offer of adjustments or redeployment. This was despite ten years of work for them and no previous concerns around my health, conduct or performance. Indeed, before my disclosure, I was heavily being encouraged to enter Social Services management. To me, this is a real example of how attitudes change once someone or an organisation knows that one of their staff has a mental illness.

After this I was on Incapacity Benefit for a year. During this time I applied for numerous jobs ranging from those relating to my skills and experience, through to ones that were a considerable step back. I declared my mental health history on all applications and not surprisingly I wasn't offered a single interview.

All possible employers saw the illness before they saw my capabilities and experience.

Finally I saw an advert for a Rethink team leader position stating that they encouraged people who have experienced their own difficulties. Was it PR or did they mean it? Luckily for me they meant it, and five years later I am now a Area Services Manager.

My illness hasn't changed during my working life, nor has my symptoms, history , prognosis or support that I need, but through the right employer attitude, people who do experience mental health difficulties are equally as employable, retainable and capable as every other person.

It is not the person who needs to change their attitudes but rather individuals, organisations and the government that need to change theirs.”

For more information contact:

Paul Corry, Director of Campaigns and Communications:
tel 020 7330 9110, mobile 07775 585178 or

Alita Howe, Media Officer:
tel 020 7330 9149, mobile 07918 660760

For out of hours media enquiries, please call 07775 585178.

About Rethink severe mental illness 

Rethink, the leading national mental health membership charity, works to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life.  We aim to provide hope and empowerment through effective services and support to all those who need us and campaign for change through greater awareness and understanding.

For further information on the charity and its work, continue to browse this website or call 0845 456 0455.