Mind

Charities respond to Spring Statement

Spread the love
Keir Starmer says that his Labour Party is intensely relaxed about assaulting the very poorest and most vulnerable.
Keir Starmer says that his Labour Party is intensely relaxed about assaulting the very poorest and most vulnerable.

https://socialcare.today/2025/03/27/charities-respond-to-spring-statement

…

Lynn Perry, Chief Executive of the children’s charity Barnardo’s, says: ‘The Spring Statement today offered little hope to the 4.3m children and their families who are living in poverty. In fact, the welfare changes announced today will make things even worse, putting an extra 50,000 children into relative poverty. These children face devastating impacts on their health, well-being and life opportunities long into adulthood. 

‘While we welcome the investment to recruit 400 new foster carers, much more action is urgently needed to achieve the government’s ambition to create the healthiest generation of children. Planned freezes to universal credit will add to the worry facing families already struggling to make ends meet. Looking ahead to the Spending Review, we urge the government to prioritise investment in lifting children out of poverty – an investment in children is an investment in the country’s future.’ 

…

Dr Sarah Hughes, CEO of mental health charity Mind, adds: ‘The extra cuts to benefits announced today are devastating and will push more people into a mental health crisis. 

‘It’s a political choice to try fixing the public finances by cutting the incomes of disabled people, including people with mental health problems. Benefits are a lifeline for so many people. Cuts will push people into poverty. This is policy making by numbers with little recognition of the impact on real people’s lives. 

…

https://socialcare.today/2025/03/27/charities-respond-to-spring-statement

Keir Starmer explains the moral case for cutting disability benefits. He says work will set you free.
Keir Starmer explains the moral case for cutting disability benefits. He says work will set you free.
Continue ReadingCharities respond to Spring Statement

Sunak launches ‘full-on assault’ on disabled people

Spread the love

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/sunak-launches-full-on-assault-against-disabled-people

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak giving his speech in central London on welfare reform, April 19, 2024

PM announces major plans to impose curbs on benefits

RISHI SUNAK was accused of launching a “full-on assault” on disabled people today after he announced major plans to impose fresh curbs on benefits.

The Prime Minister said an expected rise in benefits spending is “not sustainable” and vowed to “significantly reform” the system.

He announced a new consultation on personal independent payment (PIP), a non means-tested benefit that helps with extra costs caused by long-term disability or ill health.

Citing an increasing number of people are claiming PIP for anxiety and depression, Mr Sunak said a more “rigorous” approach will be introduced, and that “greater medical evidence” will be required to substantiate a claim.

…

He pledged to “tighten” the work capability assessment so that “hundreds of thousands of benefit recipients with less severe conditions will now be expected to engage in the world of work.”

James Taylor of disability charity Scope said the plan “feels like a full-on assault on disabled people.”

He said: “These proposals are dangerous and risk leaving disabled people destitute.

“In a cost-of-living crisis, looking to slash disabled people’s income by hitting PIP is a horrific proposal.”

Disability Rights UK’s head of policy Fazilet Hadi accused the government of “targeting disabled people for a failing economy.”

She said: “The Prime Minister’s approach to systemic inequalities caused by government policies and underfunding of public services, is to further penalise, punish and threaten disabled people living on inadequate benefits.”

…

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/sunak-launches-full-on-assault-against-disabled-people

Charities blast Rishi Sunak’s ‘dangerous’ and heartless clamp down on disability welfare

…

Dr Sarah Hughes, CEO of Mind, said: “We are deeply disappointed that the Prime Minister’s speech today continues a trend in recent rhetoric which conjures up the image of a “mental health culture” that has “gone too far”.

“This is harmful, inaccurate and contrary to the reality for people up and down the country. The truth is that mental health services are at breaking point following years of under investment with many people getting increasingly unwell while they wait to receive support.”

She added: “To imply that it is easy both to be signed-off work and then to access benefits is deeply damaging. It is insulting to the 1.9 million people on a waiting list to get mental health support, and to the GPs whose expert judgement is being called into question.”

Labour MP John Trickett offered an alternative solution: “Sunak would stop doctors from issuing ‘sick notes’ in effort to force ill people back to work. I have a 3-part proposal: 1) fully finance the NHS & cut waiting lists 2) an all-out drive to end poverty which is at the root of so much ill health 3) force bosses to pay living wage”.

Charities blast Rishi Sunak’s ‘dangerous’ and heartless clamp down on disability welfare

Continue ReadingSunak launches ‘full-on assault’ on disabled people

Government can no longer ‘bury its head in the sand on mental health’, charity warns

Spread the love

https://leftfootforward.org/2024/04/government-can-no-longer-bury-its-head-in-the-sand-on-mental-health-charity-warns/

‘With a General Election on the horizon, there is an opportunity for all parties to set out how they plan to tackle the scale of need.’

The economic and social costs of mental health in England soared to £300 billion in 2022, up from £119 billion in 2020, and £77 billion in 2003. This was the finding of new research from the Centre for Mental Health and commissioned by the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network.

The overall costs of mental ill health equate to double the NHS’s entire budget of £153bn in England in 2022. Shockingly, the costs are also similar to the estimated impact of Covid-19 on the UK economy in 2020 (£260bn in 2020 prices).

The economic costs, including unemployment, staff turnover, sickness days and presenteeism, equated to £110bn. The human costs in terms of wellbeing and reduced quality of life, were found to be £130bn, and the health and care costs £60bn.

The authors of The Economic and Social Costs of Mental Ill Health say that the new figures demonstrate the urgent need for action to turn the tide on rising poor mental health. They warn that failing to act could lead to even higher costs that no government can afford to ignore.

Following the publishing of the report, Dr Sarah Hughes, chief executive of the mental health charity Mind, said that the research adds to the “growing list of evidence showing this crisis is too big to ignore.”

“The government can no longer bury its head in the sand about the need for action.

…

https://leftfootforward.org/2024/04/government-can-no-longer-bury-its-head-in-the-sand-on-mental-health-charity-warns/

Continue ReadingGovernment can no longer ‘bury its head in the sand on mental health’, charity warns