Mental health watchdog finds benefit cut ‘major factor’ in suicide

A decision to cut a woman’s benefits was a “major factor” in her suicide, according to a mental health watchdog.

The woman, referred to as Ms DE, had a 20-year history of depression and was on incapacity benefit but scored zero points in an assessment which found her to be capable of work.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) decided she would not be eligible for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), which replaced incapacity benefit, and would have to move to Jobseeker’s Allowance.

It sent her a letter informing her of the decision on December 9, 2011 and on December 31 that year she was found dead at her house following an overdose.

Dr Donald Lyons, chief executive of the Mental Welfare Commission (MWC) for Scotland, said it was likely that the decision to cut the benefits contributed to Ms DE’s decision to commit suicide.

He said: “We don’t know what was going on in her mind but we spoke to her friends and psychiatrist and GP and we could not identify anything else that was happening that might have precipitated her decision to end her own life.

“Things were on the up for her, she was starting to take on voluntary work, she was looking forward to getting married.

“Also we have a lot of information that she was very distressed by the whole process of benefits assessment and we have to conclude that it was a major factor in the decision to end her own life.

“She didn’t leave a note. It’s tragic and it does look as if the benefits assessment process was a factor in her decision.”

The commission’s report into the case criticised the benefits assessment process as “flawed” and called for changes.

It was “disappointed” at the way the DWP communicated with her and said she was not treated as a vulnerable claimant.

Ms DE, who was in her early 50s and had a teenage son, was diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder with some features of anxiety in 1992.

She had three periods on incapacity benefit between July 2007 and her death, and was unemployed for the last 21 months of her life, but had a mortgage.

The mother, who was engaged and planning to get married in 2012, was sent a letter by the DWP in July 2011 informing her that her benefits were being reassessed.

Her income would have dropped from £94.25 a week on incapacity benefit to £67.50 per week on Jobseeker’s Allowance.

However she told a welfare rights officer that she had not received a self-assessment questionnaire and no further medical evidence was requested from either her GP or hospital consultant.

Atos carried out a face-to-face Work Capability Assessment (WCA) for the DWP on October 26 and the DWP decided she did not meet the criteria to receive the ESA.

The MWC has made a raft of recommendations, including that the DWP routinely obtains medical reports for individuals with a mental illness, learning disability or related condition who are entering the assessment process.

It said the DWP and Atos should also review the WC A mental state examination to remedy the “significant defects” identified.

A DWP spokesman said it conducted an internal investigation and found its procedures of the time were correctly followed and the relevant safeguards implemented.

He said: “This report is narrowly focused using a single case from 2011 to make conclusions about the WCA process without taking into account the significant improvements we have made – and continue to make – for people with mental health conditions.

“We worked with the Mental Welfare Commission throughout their review and formally responded to their recommendations with a commitment to further improve our processes where required.”

An Atos Healthcare spokesman said: “The Work Capability Assessment was designed by the Government as a way of assessing how an individual’s disability or illness impacts on their day-to-day life. It is not designed to diagnose or treat a medical condition.

“In line with guidance from DWP we will request further medical evidence only where this is likely to mean that a person will be eligible for benefit without the need for a face-to-face assessment. We do this in about a third of all cases.”