Tories Plan To Make Mental Health ESA Claimants Prove They Are Really Depressed

[Northerner]

Critics have expressed horror at Tory plans to make benefit claimants prove they suffer from anxiety or depression, or risk having their payments cut.

Current rules mean that people cannot be forced into treatment, like psychological therapy, as a condition of receiving their sickness benefits. But the Telegraph reported high-level discussion at the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions are currently ongoing to require hundreds of thousands of people to undergo treatment, if they are declared unfit for work due to mental health problems.

Government statistics show 46% of people receiving £101 a week Employment and Support Allowance have mental health issues, meaning that new rules could apply to 260,000 people.

The plans have come under fire from high-profile Tory backbencher and former GP Sarah Wollaston.

Disgusting

 

[AlisonM]

Now that is bloody depressing. 😡

 

[Riri]

Truly awful

 

[KookyCat]

Erm...how are they going to provide these treatments? I assume they don't mean medication because enforced medication would require the individual to be sectioned, so assumedly they mean treatment by a psychologist. Forcing someone into treatment with a psychologist would fly in the face of the ethics of the profession and undermine the trust required to make it work. Oh that annoys me 😡

 

[Northerner]

Erm...how are they going to provide these treatments? I assume they don't mean medication because enforced medication would require the individual to be sectioned, so assumedly they mean treatment by a psychologist. Forcing someone into treatment with a psychologist would fly in the face of the ethics of the profession and undermine the trust required to make it work. Oh that annoys me 😡

Well, given what I have read from people here, actually getting treatment such as CBT is extremely difficult with enormous waiting lists due to lack of resources. Do they plan to do their usual trick of making changes without first arranging the necessary back up?

 

[AlisonM]

Well, given what I have read from people here, actually getting treatment such as CBT is extremely difficult with enormous waiting lists due to lack of resources. Do they plan to do their usual trick of making changes without first arranging the necessary back up?

Well naturally, after all, it's our own fault we're so pathetic that we need non existent help to overcome problems that are all in our heads. We're all cheats and layabouts after all.

 

[Northerner]

Well naturally, after all, it's our own fault we're so pathetic that we need non existent help to overcome problems that are all in our heads. We're all cheats and layabouts after all.

I find it truly frightening what might happen if they win a majority in the next election 😱

 

[AlisonM]

I find it truly frightening what might happen if they win a majority in the next election 😱

DON'T! You'll give me nightmares.

 

[gail2]

so how are they going to prove you are not ill in there eyes. more questions/interviews by one of their so called profesonals. The beast by nature can be a one week im here next week im not illness. Having to attend a interview would in my case trigger more illness and possibly detainment under the mental health act, wood that be good enught for them then. Frankly the thought of this scares me shitless. i have for the last 7 years been in and out of both normal and psychatric hospitals would that be good enough for them. some of us have enough of trying to face the world every day let alone some little dhss gestapo person

 

[KookyCat]

Well, given what I have read from people here, actually getting treatment such as CBT is extremely difficult with enormous waiting lists due to lack of resources. Do they plan to do their usual trick of making changes without first arranging the necessary back up?

Or maybe it will be unqualified people with a two week training course, I mean it's not like mental health takes gentle qualified handling or anything is it. I can see it now, "I know you're suffering from crippling anxiety with agoraphobia Mr Smith but you have to travel to the hospital twice a week to see a mental health technician, but would you mind signing this waiver relinquishing us from responsibility if the treatment should make you feel worse..."

 

[KookyCat]

so how are they going to prove you are not ill in there eyes. more questions/interviews by one of their so called profesonals. The beast by nature can be a one week im here next week im not illness. Having to attend a interview would in my case trigger more illness and possibly detainment under the mental health act, wood that be good enught for them then. Frankly the thought of this scares me shitless. i have for the last 7 years been in and out of both normal and psychatric hospitals would that be good enough for them. some of us have enough of trying to face the world every day let alone some little dhss gestapo person

I think that's the worst thing about it Gail, those who are ill will worry about it and it will potentially make their illness worse. If there are unscrupulous people out there using the fact that it is almost impossible to prove depression or anxiety disorder they won't care, they'll just trot along and lie through their teeth (because they're already doing that). What are they trying to do? If they want to help people provide the services for people to access without threats.