People with health problems need more support to find and stay in work, say Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice has published research highlighting the 'employability gap' between people with and without health conditions.
Disabled people or those with a health condition are more than twice as likely to fall out of work in any given year compared with people who are not disabled or do not have health problems, the new analysis shows (the link to this external content from Citizens Advice has expired)
The research also found that over half of people with a physical health condition or disability are in work (53%) compared with just a third of people (36%) with mental health problems.
Responding to this research, Tom Pollard, Policy and Campaigns Manager at Mind, said:
“We’re pleased to see Citizens Advice highlighting just how much work has to be done in order to close the disability employment gap. A huge proportion of people with mental health problems struggle to work as a result. As such, it’s deeply concerning that the vast majority still don’t have access to proper back-to-work support. We have long been calling for more personalised, tailored support, that takes into account an individuals’ ambitions, skills, and helps them overcome the barriers they face in getting and staying in work.
“People tell us that the support from the Jobcentre is often inappropriate, and causes anxiety because it’s delivered under the threat of sanctions. Stopping someone’s benefits if they can’t make an appointment because of their mental health, for example, does not help that person into work. In fact, our research shows the opposite is true – that this added pressure makes them more unwell and less likely to get back into employment. The vast majority of people with mental health problems want to work. If the Government wants to close the gap, they need to take action to make sure that specialist support is available for everyone with a mental health problem.”