Three leading charities – Mind, Scope and Citizens Advice – have seen a big increase in demand following the government’s welfare green paper.
People are worried what the changes will mean and how they will cover the cost of living and how this will impact on their physical and mental health.
The charities are urging the government to rethink its planned changes and cuts to welfare and to invest in independent advice and support services.
“They feel under attack, stigmatised and that the legitimacy of their conditions is being called into question.” Paul Stewart, Welfare Benefits Specialist at South East London Mind, said.
We know that poverty causes extra barriers to work, exacerbating poverty and poverty leads to earlier death.
People fear they will no longer be able to afford their wheelchair or to pay for their carers nor be able to afford to travel to vital doctors’ and hospital appointments.
If you are in poor accommodation, and skipping meals to pay the bills, this will have a detrimental impact on your health.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves MP outlined cuts to benefits and welfare, including an overall spending cut of £3.4bn in benefits for disabled people. The initial cuts will be £4.8bn with some of this being reinvested in employment support and job centres. Increasing the level of disability to access personal independence payment and reduction in payments of health-related universal credit.
The political choice to lessen the public financial deficit by cutting the incomes of disabled people, including people with mental health problems, is not only going to be detrimental to those people but the nation. Those needing benefits, these changes will push people into poverty. Poverty leads to poorer health outcomes, poor health leads to hospital admissions and use of health services. Poverty leads to an increase of avoidable ill-health and therefore an increase in health services.
The proportion of NHS spending on mental health as a percentage of its overall budget has fallen and is set to fall again next financial year.
Analysis by Mind shows that the share of spend on mental health services against NHS baselines fell from 9.0% in 2023/24 to 8.78% in 2024/25, at £14.9 billion and then £15.6 billion in 2025/26 (a proportional fall of 0.07%). Wes Streeting says this is because of significant investment in other health services such as primary care which will lead to improvement in mental health care services.
Mental health makes up 20% of illness the NHS must treat. 1 in 4 people experiences a mental health problem in any given year.
There is an increase in need of mental health services, waiting lists on the NHS are long. Wes Streeting has acknowledged that we have a mental health crisis and that services are in dire state.
To get people back into employment the government will need to enable those to access adequate treatment in a prompt and timely manner. There needs to be education and support to address the drivers of poor mental health. Is this realistic with the already long waits for treatment and the proportional cuts in mental health funding?
What can government do?
- Invest in housing, education and social support, this will give people the resources they need to stay well and information as to where to seek help if needed.
- Invest in the NHS, to improve treatments and reduce delays in access to assessment of illness and its treatment.
- Invest in initiatives that promote health and keep people health.
What can local communities do?
- Connect with others and share information, someone out there has the answer and solution.
- Volunteer at schools and groups to promote health and how to stay healthy.
What can you do?
- Ask your MP, local councillor, school, GP, faith leader, what they can do to promote good health and help others to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- Lobby your MP if you can identify clear deficits in your area or about lack of funding generally.
- Volunteer or start a healthy living group.