Mind launches General Election manifesto 2017

On Tuesday 2 May 2017, Mind launched its manifesto for the General Election 2017, Making it Happen.

The charity is calling on the next government to make six commitments to improve the lives of everyone affected by mental health problem:

• Deliver the investment and commitments agreed in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health – and go beyond this to take us closer to putting mental health on an equal footing with physical health.
  
  
• Improve public understanding of mental health and reduce negative attitudes and discrimination, including by supporting the Time to Change campaign to sustain its work.
  
  
• Tackle the culture of fear and silence of mental health in the workplace by providing increased and better support and incentives for employers to create mentally healthy workplaces for all staff, including employees with mental health problems. 
  
  
• Make sure anyone with a mental health problem who requires it can access financial support from the welfare system to help manage the extra costs of having a mental health problem, so they can stay well and live independently, free from the fear of sanctions and having their benefits removed if they are too unwell to work.
  
  
• Ensure local authorities have sufficient funding to deliver tailored social support and advice to alleviate debt, social isolation and housing insecurity - the issues that make life harder for people with mental health problems.
  
  
• Change outdated and discriminatory legislation like the Mental Health Act and the definition of disability to ensure everyone with mental health problems gets support and respect.