Mel Stride proposes therapy or respite instead of financial support for those with mental health conditions

The work and pensions secretary of the UK, Mel Stride, announced plans to potentially strip people with depression or anxiety of access to sickness benefits. This proposal is part of significant welfare changes described as a “full-on assault on disabled people.”

In a morning announcement on Monday, Stride unveiled plans to revamp the disability benefits system and was scheduled to address the Commons on this matter later in the day. The proposed changes, outlined in a green paper to be published alongside Stride’s statement, involve altering the criteria and assessments for personal independence payments (Pip), the primary disability benefit for adults.

Despite framing the proposals as a mature discussion about welfare provision, Stride hinted that the plan also served as a Conservative election strategy, aiming to put pressure on Labour in the upcoming general election.

Under these changes, consultations will be held over the coming months to explore moving away from a fixed cash benefit system. This means individuals with certain conditions might no longer receive regular payments but instead gain access to treatment if their condition does not involve extra costs.

During an interview on BBC Radio 4 Today, Stride dismissed suggestions that the Tories were dismantling the system they had designed, arguing that Labour had been silent on welfare issues. He emphasized the need to avoid paying people to deal with the “ordinary difficulties of life,” suggesting that many voters agreed with this sentiment.

In an interview with the Times, Stride indicated that people with “milder mental health conditions” may no longer receive financial support. He cited Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s recent speech, which suggested that individuals with less severe mental health conditions should be expected to engage with the world of work.

Stride proposed alternatives to benefit payments, including talking therapies, social care packages, and respite care. He stressed that the goal of the changes was to provide better help, although cost was acknowledged as a factor.

Disability equity charity Scope’s executive director of strategy, James Taylor, criticized the proposals as a “reckless assault” on disabled people. Taylor urged the government to focus on fixing underlying issues rather than cutting the benefits bill.

These changes raise concerns about the support available for individuals with mental health conditions, prompting organizations like Mind and Childline in the UK and Mental Health America and Lifeline in the US to offer support services