Benefit Cuts for People with Depression Who Refuse Treatment Are Barbaric and Misunderstand the Problem

According to the Express, the DWP is planning to cut benefits for people with depression or anxiety who refuse treatment.

A senior Government source said it was “bizarre” that a lot of ESA claimants with treatable mental health problems undergo no treatment whatsoever, according to the Sunday Telegraph.
“These are areas we need to explore. The taxpayer has committed a lot of money but the idea was never to sustain them for years and years on benefit. We think it’s time for a rethink,” the source said. 

“At some point something has to be done. Right now it’s an open ended contract.”

This is a seriously misguided policy, for several reasons:

1) It assumes that everybody with these conditions will respond positively to treatment. Having been under treatment of one kind or another for mental health problems for more than half my life, I can say with some authority that finding the right treatment is usually a combination of luck, experimentation and circumstance. Many people go through a range of anti-depressants, for instance, at a range of different doses, before they find the one that actually helps (and doesn't make things worse). If they find one that helps at all.

Many people aren't willing to go through the plethora of unpleasant side effects and repeated disappointment that are associated with trying yet another pill, and they shouldn't be punished for this.

Similarly with therapies; some are suitable for some conditions and some people, others are entirely inappropriate. 

2) This policy assumes that treatment is available for everybody. A whole lot of people who have tried to get 'talking therapy' treatments find they are unavailable, or they have a loooooooong waiting list that they won't ever reach the top of. 

3) We need to retain absolute autonomy over our bodies and our minds, and that includes having a choice over taking pills or letting professionals prod into our psyches. There are many, many good reasons that people may resist interventions, including having faced force or increased oppression in their previous experiences with mental health services. Forcing people into this system - especially if it has already let them or their loved ones down - will do far more harm than good.

4) No therapy or counselling will work if, for whatever reason, the client hates the idea. It just won't. 

This is a policy that is not only wrong-headed, it risks doing further harm to people who are already vulnerable. Cutting someone's financial lifeline because they can't bear to try yet another tablet or because they're scared to undergo counselling after their last counsellor was transphobic or tried to cure them of their gayness, or simply because they don't feel ready to face the issues that trouble them, is barbaric. 

The worst kind of postcode lottery

The DWP published a press release yesterday, reinforcing the status of benefit claimants as primarily suspected criminals. Titled Cheats warned of benefit fraud blitz, it describes how claimants who live in "high risk postcodes" will be scrutinised, "regardless of age, gender, ethnic make-up, type of benefit recipient, income, disability breakdown or family status".

The lucky claimants in Birmingham's B44 postcode, the Perry Barr and Kingstanding area, will be the first to receive the Mobile Regional Taskforce. Yet again, benefit claimants are automatically under suspicion, simply because they are unlucky enough to have to rely on government money, and now because they live in certain postcode areas.

It does not explain what makes a particular postcode 'high risk', but I would imagine they are made up of areas which are more deprived, with higher numbers of people already living in poverty. So, the more likely you are to need government support, the more under suspicion you are?

Benefit claimants are not criminals! While finding people who are committing fraud on a huge scale is clearly important, this move just reinforces the propaganda coming freely from the government and certain parts of the media that we are all ripping off 'the taxpayer' and need hunting down and prosecuting. It increases people's anger at us, and our fear at our situation, over which we have no control.

(Cross-posted at incurable hippie blog).

Disability Works, Does It?

Companies like A4e, who are paid by the government to get benefit claimants into work, are treated with at best suspicion, and at worst fear and loathing, by many disabled people, especially following TV programmes such as Benefit Busters.

The DWP currently have a shortlist for other companies who are bidding for contracts to carry out government compulsory back-to-work schemes, and worryingly one of the shortlisted companies is the dreaded ATOS, who carry out the ESA medicals, and G4S (formerly Group 4 Security).

However, apparently also on the shortlist, according to benefitsandwork.co.uk, is a consortium consisting of a group of 7 charities, who have called themselves Disability Works UK.

Disability Works UK is a collaboration of national third sector disability organisations including Leonard Cheshire, Mencap, Scope, Mind, Action for Blind People, United Response, Pure Innovations, Advance UK and Pluss.

They boast about their £654.4 million turnover, and cash surplus of £15.6 million, which makes me feel a little queasy. As someone who has donated to more than one of these charities in the past, I will certainly never do so again if that is going to be used in a bid for them to gain their place in what is one of the most oppressive parts of the government's new benefit regime.

For charities and voluntary sector organisations who have done some campaigning against the punitive measures put in place within the benefit system, to now want to play an active part in that system, is disturbing. For them to use money donated by people in good faith as part of that, sickening.

And where does it leave our chances of major disability charities campaigning on our behalf against punitive benefit reforms? If they are hoping to profit from the legislation, I cannot see how we can expect adequate support or representation from them.

If Mind, Scope, Mencap, Leonard Cheshire et al win these contracts, will these charities, who are seen by many as the voice of disabled people, be playing a part in benefit sanctions? Will they be working with ATOS as colleagues? Will we ever trust them again?

(cross posted at incurable hippie blog)