Welfare reform - Mind consultation on government paper

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued a new consultation paper on welfare reform entitled ‘No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility’. Mind will be submitting a response and produced a questionnaire asking people with experience of mental distress to share their views in order to inform our submission. The submission date for this questionnaire has now passed. Thank you to all those that took part.

More information about the Government's consultation paper

The Government paper suggests measures which may be implemented in the coming years and asks for our views. These measures would build on the changes already coming into effect in October when Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is introduced. ESA replaces Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid on incapacity grounds. (In the first instance this will only apply to new claimants and to existing claimants from 2009 to 2013.)

In its new consultation the Government is placing a greater emphasis on work-focused activities with the possibility of mandatory training and/or job search. At the same time there is more funding available for schemes such as Access to Work, which funds practical assistance to enable disabled people to get or stay in work. Please note these are still ideas and proposals and that the time to influence Government thinking is now.

If you would like to see the document itself, it is available in a range of formats from www.dwp.gov.uk/welfarereform/noonewrittenoff or contact:

Welfare Reform Green Paper Consultation Team
DWP
Room 249, The Adelphi
1–11 John Adam Street
London WC2N 6HT

tel: 020 7712 2316 
textphone: 020 7928 8380
email: welfare.reform@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

You can also respond direct to the DWP consultation by 22 October 2008.