When did Job Centre advisers gain their doctorates in mental health care?
It seems the Department for Work and Pensions is on a mission to discredit the medical profession in its entirety.
The department has already done its best to deny the professionalism of doctors by disregarding their evidence in favour of the results of a “yes/no” multiple choice test administered by “health care professionals” who often know nothing about the health issue suffered by a claimant.
Now it is trying to cut doctors working on mental health out of the benefit system by claiming that rank-and-file Job Centre advisers are just as able to spot mental health problems – and recommend the best treatment.
They aren’t; they can’t. It’s just a cynical bid to stop people with mental health problems from claiming Employment and Support Allowance or Personal Independence Payment.
One would have thought the fact that mental health issues are routinely disregarded by decision-makers would be enough to discourage the mentally-ill from claiming these benefits; apparently not.
The government press release, announcing funds for a pilot project in Cornwall to continue, is transparent in its nonsense doublespeak:
Hundreds of residents from Bude to Penzance are set to benefit from improved mental health support as Amber Rudd announces £100,000 funding for a life-changing project.
The initiative means work coaches can continue to refer people with mental health conditions to specialist one to one support, without the need for a GP or clinical assessment.
“Without the need”? Translation: “Without the support of evidence from a qualified doctor who can bring their expertise to a benefit tribunal.”
The support is also designed to help people find their way back into the workplace when they’re ready.
Translation: “The intention is to ensure that people with mental illnesses must continue to seek employment, whether they are ready or not.”
In fact, this treatment seems more likely to worsen their mental health and force them towards suicide – a “positive benefit outcome” as far as the DWP is concerned (as This Site has mentioned many times before).
Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd showed her lack of any integrity at all by backing up the baloney to the hilt:
Amber Rudd, Work and Pensions Secretary, said:
“The pilot proved that work coaches are well placed to make sure people get help quickly and are supported to get their lives back on track so I’m delighted that it can continue.
“Importantly it has also shown that people trust their work coach to help them during their toughest times – and I’m very proud of that.”
Is that right?
I’d like to see independent evidence of that, from somebody who has been through the system.
Of course, that would be someone who is not still a part of the system – a person who could not be subjected to any coercion to say what Ms Rudd wanted; someone not living in fear of the cancellation of benefits.
Is there such a person?
And will they dare come forward?
In any case, if anybody in the DWP discovers what they consider to be a mental illness in a benefit claimant, they have a duty to report it to the NHS. Anything else is negligence and – if any harm comes to that claimant – could lead to serious allegations against the DWP.
Suppose somebody dies after the DWP decides to handle that person’s mental illness itself. Won’t it be opening itself to a charge of corporate manslaughter, at the very least?
Source: £100,000 fund to boost mental health support across Cornwall – GOV.UK
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I would say it opened itself up to corporate manslaughter when Ian Duncan Smith walked into office. It opened itself up, removed all signs of humanity, empathy, compassion and common sense. It then filled the gaping empty hole with cruelty, persecution, cold heartedness and any thing else they could find to torture the poor, sick and disabled, all us useless eaters. Yes it works exactly how they want it to. The hard part I find is just surviving and clinging on by the skin of my nails.
Utterly laughable. I worked in a jobcentre for six years back in the late 90s and early 00s and none of the management there understood my own mental health issues, to the extent that one manager even told me they would advise head office to terminate my contract because my mental health meant I was ‘unreliable’. I won that battle thanks to my union, but I eventually jumped ship for the sake of my health long term. These people can’t even assess or aid their own staff and colleagues – what chance the claimants?
Importantly it has also shown that people trust their work coach hmmm are they idiots but all part of their aktion t4 rolling along without much of a ado culling the stock through benefits denial
We are all aware of the atos miracles where people on life support were determined to be fit for work, the invisible illnesses have no chance and this has been the case since at least 2003.
Is this in addition to the so-called “Disability Employment Advisors” ?
In my experience the DEA’s get extra pay and title for simply attending a course but have neither medical knowledge nor experience to justify their role.
DEA – Disappear Every Afternoon, as we called them on account of them often being part time employees. I must add though that some I worked alongside were worth their weight in gold…when they were actually available that is.
What? You mean that all those years I spent passing exams, working with people with various mental health problems were worthless and all that I needed was Ms Rudd to pronounce me capable of assessing people’s mental health needs? Well what a waste of 20 plus years 🤨.
I’m considering daring to come forward!