Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Unemployment: Mental Ill Health

Monday 23 January 2023 · 7 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Prime Minister has tasked the Minister with reviewing the entire area of economic inactivity due to mental health issues, and a White Paper will be published to address these matters.
  • The Minister agrees that people should never be written off and that support should be maintained for organisations helping individuals achieve their potential.
  • The Department for Work and Pensions provides specialist help for those suffering from mental ill health through the Access to Work scheme and funding for NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services in England.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Liz Twist Lab Blaydon and Consett
Employment Mental Health
Context

The question arises from an increase in economic inactivity due to mental illness, particularly since 2019. The Access to Work scheme is seen as a vital resource but faces delays.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of people who are out of work owing to mental ill health? Since 2019, economic inactivity due to mental illness and nervous disorders has increased by 22%. People with mental ill health need support in order to get back into work, and Access to Work grants are a vital resource in helping to ensure that they have that support, but in the past year alone waiting times have doubled and the size of the backlog has trebled. People have been forced to turn down jobs that they want to do because they cannot gain access to the support and flexibility they need.

Answer from Mel Stride

The Prime Minister has tasked me with reviewing this entire area, including matters related to economic inactivity due to mental health issues. We will publish a White Paper to address some of these matters.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps and timeline for addressing delays were not provided

How: Under Review

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Q2 Liz Twist Lab Blaydon and Consett
Employment Mental Health
Context

The question arises from a visit by the MP to a community interest company in Ipswich that helps adults with various disabilities live independently and get back into work.

Question

Does the Minister agree that the moral of the story is that we should never give up on people, that we should never write them off and stop working with them to enable them to achieve their true potential, and that we should support organisations that help them to do so?

Answer from Mel Stride

The Minister agrees entirely. The conditions of those who suffer from mental health issues are often dramatically improved when they can get into work, hold down a job and benefit from all that working provides.

Not addressed: No specific commitments or actions were provided

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Q3 Tom Hunt
Employment Mental Health
Context

The question arises from the success of the Working Win pilot programme in South Yorkshire, which has helped 2,500 people get into work.

Question

Can the Secretary of State guarantee that the funding will be maintained in the interim while considering whether the scheme could be rolled out nationally?

Answer from Mel Stride

£7 million has been invested so far. The results are being looked at closely, including the effect not only on mental health but on productivity.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific guarantee was not provided

How: Looking At This

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Q4 Dan Jarvis Lab Barnsley North
Employment Mental Health
Context

The question arises from the issue of younger workers dropping out of the labour market due to mental ill health, driving an increase in economic inactivity.

Question

Will my right hon. Friend keep the focus on how a close link with the employment support agency and the labour market can be maintained?

Answer from Mel Stride

It is essential for the Department to do whatever it can at the early stages to support those with mental health issues who are already in work, particularly those who are in danger of falling out of work.

Not addressed: No specific actions or timeline were provided

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Q5 Stephen Crabb Con
Benefits & Welfare Mental Health
Context

The question arises from concerns about the effectiveness of Access to Work, a vital resource for those seeking support due to mental ill health.

Question

Will the Secretary of State tell us how many people are currently waiting for Access to Work to help them? The charity Scope says that the number of disabled people waiting for a decision on their award in March 2022 was nearly 21,000. That is an increase of 327% on the same point the previous year.

Answer from Mel Stride

I would be very happy to write to the hon. Lady on exactly how many people are waiting for access to that scheme. We should not in any way play down the importance of the Access to Work scheme, which is highly successful and provides up to nine months of support.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific numbers were provided

How: Will Write

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Q6 Alison McGovern Lab Birkenhead
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question arises from concerns about the effectiveness and delays in the Access to Work scheme, impacting individuals' ability to secure employment support.

Question

When will the Secretary of State sort it out? The charity Scope says that the number of disabled people waiting for a decision on their award in March 2022 was nearly 21,000. That is an increase of 327% on the same point the previous year.

Answer from Mel Stride

I stand by our record on encouraging disabled people back into work. We were set a target for dramatically increasing the employment level for disabled people by 2027 and met that target of 1 million new disabled people in work a full five years early.

Not addressed: No timeline or action plan was provided to address delays

How: Change Of Subject

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Q7 Alison McGovern Lab Birkenhead
Employment Mental Health
Context

The question arises from the issue of economic inactivity due to mental illness, which has increased by 22% since 2019.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of people who are out of work owing to mental ill health? Since 2019, economic inactivity due to mental illness and nervous disorders has increased by 22%. People with mental ill health need support in order to get back into work.

Answer from Mel Stride

The Department for Work and Pensions provides specialist help for those who are suffering from mental ill health, both through the Access to Work scheme and by funding advisers in the NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services in England.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific steps were detailed

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