‘No evidence’ to suggest mental health claimants sanctioned more than others

By The Press Association3rd November 2015News EnglandGovernment / Politics, Mental Health, News England, Vulnerable Adults, Welfare Reform

Sanctions against “seriously ill” benefit claimants should be stopped, ministers have been told as the Government denied people with mental health problems are punished more often.

Employment Minister Priti Patel also told MPs it would be “misleading” to assess on its own the impact of sanctions on claimants’ mental health.

She added it would be “unlawful” to release details of reviews into the deaths of benefit claimants following a ruling by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

The Government is facing renewed calls for an independent review to examine its benefit sanctions policy and to ensure vulnerable people are protected.

MPs used a question session in the Commons to also raise concerns over the impact of benefit sanctions on the mental health of claimants.

Jobseekers are to be given 14 days’ notice before facing benefit sanctions under a new scheme being trialled next year by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

But the SNP questioned why the Government is waiting until next year to trial this idea.

Eilidh Whiteford, the SNP’s social justice and welfare spokeswoman, told Ms Patel: “The so-called yellow pilot scheme is actually an admission by the Government that the sanctions regime isn’t working at the present time, and it’s particularly badly failing people with serious mental illnesses.

“Why is the Government waiting until next year to bring in this pilot scheme, and in the meantime will they please just stop sanctioning people who are seriously ill?”

Ms Patel (pictured) said she would “respectfully disagree” with Ms Whiteford, adding: “Claimants are only asked to meet reasonable requirements taking into account their circumstances and I think, as you will find with the pilots as they are under way, that again this is about how we can integrate support for claimants and importantly provide them with the support and the guidance to help them get back to work.”

Ms Whiteford insisted the reality is people with mental health problems are being “disproportionately sanctioned”, adding that has been clear for “some time”.

She asked the Government to carry out a full independent review of the sanctions regime.

Ms Patel replied: “For a start, the Government has been listening and we have responded to the Work and Pensions Select Committee, hence the reason we will be trialling and piloting the new scheme.”

She reiterated staff in jobcentres are trained to support claimants with mental health conditions, adding: “There is no evidence to suggest mental health claimants are being sanctioned more than anybody else.”

Shadow work and pensions minister Debbie Abrahams told Ms Patel: “You may have inadvertently slipped up there.

“There is clear evidence from last year that 58% of people with mental health conditions on the Employment Support Allowance work-related activity group were sanctioned.

“Obviously that’s over half and that’s the equivalent to 105,000 people – 83% in a Mind survey say that their health condition was made worse as a result of this.”

Ms Abrahams said a Government assessment of its work programme shows how “ineffective” it is at helping people with mental health conditions getting into “sustained” work, adding the “punitive” sanctions regime has also been shown not to be working.

She asked Ms Patel: “Why will the Government not commit to undertaking an independent review on sanctions?”

The Conservative minister said Labour had changed its policy on sanctions, noting the party used to support the system.

Ms Patel told Ms Abrahams: “The sanctions system is kept under constant review. We are trialling a new early warning system, which was recommended by the Work and Pensions Select Committee, and I would have thought you would have welcomed that.”

Ms Patel added that sanctions play an “important part” in the labour market by supporting people to get into work, including those with mental health conditions.

Earlier when asked to assess the potential effect of benefit sanctions on claimants’ mental health, Ms Patel said: “There are many factors affecting an individual’s mental health.

“To assess the effect of sanctions in isolation of all other factors would be misleading and there are a number of checks built into the system to support all claimants, including those with mental health concerns.”

SNP MP Callum McCaig (Aberdeen South), who asked the initial question, said he found Ms Patel’s reply “disappointing”.

He followed the recent demands of SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson in asking the Government to publish details of investigations into suicides after benefit sanctions.

Ms Patel replied: “The department carries out reviews to identify whether any lessons can be learnt but I should emphasise that the Information Commissioner has considered this very issue and upheld the department’s decision not to publish these because of the level of personal information that is contained.

“For that reason it would be unlawful to release this information.”