Latest news with #welfarebenefits
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Mental health crisis is overblown, say public
The mental health crisis is overblown and people often exaggerate their problems, according to a poll of public beliefs. More than half (56 per cent) of the public believe mental health conditions are exaggerated, while three quarters (76 per cent) think some people mistake life's normal ups and downs for mental illness, according to the survey of more than 2,000 adults by Electoral Calculus. With the Government facing a backbench rebellion over its efforts to restrict welfare benefits, the survey also suggests that ministers – rather than their backbenchers – may have better judged the pulse of the nation. The poll showed more than half of voters (52 per cent) believed that it was too easy for people to claim benefits for mental health illnesses, against 35 per cent who thought it was too hard and 13 per cent who believed it was about right. Last month, Sir Keir Starmer was forced to back down on controversial plans to slash disability and sickness benefits after more than 120 of his MPs threatened to vote against the proposals. Although the public believe benefits are too readily available, they are evenly divided on whether it is too easy or too hard to prove a mental illness in the UK. Some 44 per cent said it was too easy, while 43 per cent said it was too hard. However, Tory and Reform supporters were more likely to believe it was too easy to be diagnosed as suffering from a mental health condition, with 74 per cent of Conservative voters and 55 per cent from Nigel Farage's party saying it was the case. It comes as the head of the Government's workplace review said that employees who have 'I hate my boss syndrome' should not be signed off sick with a mental health condition. Sir Charlie Mayfield said he was concerned some problems are being 'over-medicalised' when they could be solved in the office. The former John Lewis chairman has been appointed by Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, to come up with plans to stop workers leaving their jobs because of poor health. His report is due this autumn. One in five people of working age have a health condition that affects their job and there are 2.8 million people inactive due to ill health – up from 2.1 million since before the Covid pandemic, although the numbers had been rising for several years. Sir Charlie told The Sunday Times: 'The last thing I wish to do is trivialise [mental health conditions] but I agree that things do get over-medicalised.' Half of those polled (49 per cent) agreed that society spends too much time talking about minor mental illnesses. This rose to 77 per cent of Conservatives and 62 per cent of Reform supporters compared with just 35 per cent of Labour voters. Three quarters (74 per cent) said that social media often led to people thinking they had a mental illness when they did not. However, despite the scepticism about 'over medicalisation' of mental ill health, the public believe by five to one majority (68 per cent to 14 per cent) that there were not enough services available to meet the needs of people suffering from mental health problems. Eight in 10 people believed that mental illness had been stigmatised for too long and that it was healthy for people to talk about it more. Seven in 10 also felt that people with serious mental illness are losing out because of the attention given to the growing numbers of people saying they have less serious mental illness. Martin Baxter, the chief executive of Electoral Calculus, said: 'The public shows strong support for tackling stigma and being open about mental health, yet many worry that everyday challenges are being labelled as mental illness, risking the needs of those with serious conditions being overlooked. 'Mental health policy looks set to become a key political battleground, and these findings suggest that politicians will need to tread carefully as they respond to growing public scepticism and a system that most feel isn't working.'
The Independent
30-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Nearly 800,000 disabled children face cliff-edge over Labour's ‘devastating' welfare reforms
Nearly 800,000 disabled children face losing their health-related benefits as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirms that they will not be eligible for protections promised under the Labour's welfare concessions. Following a massive backbench rebellion over the government's welfare bill last week, work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall announced several tweaks to the legislation on Monday afternoon ahead of a crunch vote on Tuesday. But this protection will not be extended to the 773,000 under-16s currently in receipt of PIP's child equivalent, the Disability Living Allowance (DLA), the DWP has confirmed. If the bill passes, the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will essentially become more difficult to claim as the point-scoring system used at assessments is tightened. Currently paid to 3.7 million people, the benefit is designed to help with extra costs related to health or disability. Around 1.5 million of these would not be found eligible under the new scoring system. However, Ms Kendall confirmed to MPs that anyone in receipt of PIP when the changes come into effect in November 2026 will be subject to the old, more lenient point-scoring system at their mandatory future reassessments. Formerly one of the most common health-related benefits in Britain, DLA began to be phased out in 2013. However, it remains in place for children aged 0 to 15 as the main childhood disability benefit. Parents can apply for DLA on behalf of their children from the time of their birth onwards. However, when a child in receipt of DLA turns 16, they are invited to apply for PIP. Their DLA payments will stop if they do not apply for PIP by the deadline they are given in this invitation. The DWP has confirmed that the protections pledged for current PIP claimants under the government's concessions will not be extended to any child currently in receipt of DLA. This means any child receiving the benefit that turns 16 after November 2026 will be assessed for PIP on the new, stricter system. The current system was criticised in March as a BBC investigation revealed that amount teenagers who were invited to make the transition from DLA then rejected from claiming PIP was already a third. Should the changes pass, this statistic will likely rise. A further 350,000 adult-age DLA recipients could also face a more difficult assessment process for PIP in the future as they all face a mandatory move to the benefit in the future. Following the phasing out of DLA, many recipients born before 1948 were invited to apply for PIP, subject to a mandatory assessment. The DWP has confirmed that these invitations have been paused for now, despite just over 350,000 adult-age DLA recipients being in the age bracket to get one. These figures mean that, combined, over one million current disability benefit recipients could face tighter criteria to claim PIP, left out of Labour's concession to offer protections for current PIP claimants. The DWP has said that voluntary claims for PIP from DLA for adults can be made at anytime, meaning anyone who has yet to transition from the benefit may want to consider doing so should the bill pass on Tuesday. James Taylor, executive director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said: 'These devastating cuts will strip support back to the bone for disabled children and their families in the future. "Life costs an enormous amount more for disabled people of all ages. Today's disabled children could be up to £8,000 a year worse off than someone older with the same needs and extra costs. "Hundreds of thousands of families will face a terrifying cliff edge in support as their children approach adulthood. 'The government needs to drop this bill, and properly engage with disabled people and MPs on how best to reform our welfare system.' Derek Sinclair, senior adviser at disability charity Contact, said: 'Last week's announcements will be a relief to existing claimants. However, it does nothing to help future claimants, including disabled children not currently old enough to claim adult disability benefits. 'We face being left with an unfair two-tier system. Future claimants will find it harder to qualify for financial support, and the benefits paid to many will be substantially lower. 'Our research has found that families with a disabled child or young person are already among the poorest households in the UK. The government should scrap its current plans until it has first carried out a proper consultation with disabled people and their carers.'
