The Government's disability benefit reforms must not row back progress on mental health

There are those that will wholeheartedly welcome Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s attempts to get more people off benefits and into work. However, there are also those who see it as a continued “reckless assault” on disabled people.

As part of the reforms, people suffering from depression or anxiety could lose access to sickness benefits.

The Prime Minister is right to want to weed out those who may be gaming the system. After all, it is the hardworking taxpayer that picks up the bill. Defrauding the welfare system goes against the sense of justice that the majority of people have in this country.

But the Government must tread carefully, as the country cannot regress when it comes to confronting mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety. Britain is a beacon of compassion when it comes to mental health issues. It shouldn’t be, as there is still a long way to go towards understanding and accepting mental health issues in society. But other countries do look up to and would do well to learn from Britain.

Forcing those who are not well mentally back to work is not good for the labour market nor public finances long-term. It could lead to worsening of an individual’s health.

The important thing to acknowledge is that recovery for those suffering from conditions such as anxiety and depression is not linear.

Unfortunately, mental health provisions are still lacking in this country despite more people being open to discussing the issue. That should be the priority for any government that wants a healthy, productive population.