In a concerning development, individuals receiving care as mentally ill inpatients have been instructed to participate in jobcentre meetings regarding their benefits, further exacerbating the challenges they already have to face on a daily basis.
Concern Arise as Mental Health Inpatients Told to Attend Jobcentre Meeting Despite Contradictory Guidance
In recent months, three patient at Forston Clinic, an NHS mental health inpatient service near Dorchester, were instructed to attend a jobcentre meeting to face potential cuts to their benefits. This has prompted complaints from the local Citizens Advice branch, which has an adviser based at the clinic.
Despite requests, local jobcentre managers have not assured that similar demands won't be made in the future, raising questions about the adherence to national guidance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Last week, Employment Minister Jo Churchill clarified in response to a parliamentary question that DWP guidance does not mandate mentally ill inpatients to attend jobcentre meetings. However, this revelation contradicts the reported cases at Forston Clinic.
Daphne Hall, representative at the National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers (Nawra), decried the situation as "ridiculous" and emphasized the impracticality of expecting hospitalized individuals to attend work-related appointments.
Citizens Advice Intervention and DWP Discretion
Citizens Advice Central Dorset intervened on behalf of two patients, preventing their attendance at jobcentre meetings. Meanwhile, a third patient was sent to a jobcentre by clinic staff to avoid delays in their universal credit claim. Caroline Buxton, Business and Partnerships Manager at Citizens Advice Central Dorset, highlighted the inappropriateness of expecting individuals in mental health crisis to engage in work-related discussions.
The DWP responded, stating that there are no references in their guidance mandating hospital inpatients to attend jobcentre meetings. They highlighted the discretion of work coaches to personalize work-related requirements based on the impact of health conditions.
However, the spokesperson also acknowledged that in exceptional circumstances, where claimants are absolutely prevented from making commitments, the requirement can be temporarily lifted, including cases where claimants are undergoing medical treatment as inpatients.
Navigating Mental Health and Benefits: Striking a Balance Between Policy and Well-being
Nawra's Daphne Hall emphasized the potential harm of pressuring individuals going through a mental health crisis, stating that such pressure is likely to be extremely detrimental to their health.
The conflicting experiences at Forston Clinic shed light on the challenges faced by mental health inpatients in navigating benefit claims and work-related obligations. The article underscores the need for a careful balance between policy implementation and the well-being of individuals undergoing mental health treatment.
A DWP spokesperson said: “There are no references within our guidance which state we would require a hospital inpatient to attend a meeting at a jobcentre.
“Work coaches have the discretion to personalise the work-related requirements for individual claimants based on the impact of their health condition.
“In exceptional circumstances, where a claimant is absolutely prevented from making any commitments in return for receiving their benefit, the requirement to do so can be temporarily lifted. This includes, but is not limited to, instances where a claimant is undergoing medical treatment as an inpatient in a hospital.”