Welfare Reform Bill

Part of Women and Equality – in the House of Commons at 4:32 pm on 27 January 2009.

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Photo of Lynne Jones Lynne Jones Labour, Birmingham, Selly Oak 4:32, 27 January 2009

My right hon. Friend said that when schemes are voluntary, there is less engagement. What evidence does he have that that is purely because they are voluntary, rather than because there has been a failure to engage people, a lack of communication and a lack of action on the part of the various agencies? Conversely, what evidence does he have that applying sanctions to lone parents and people with mental health conditions, for example, is successful in helping people into work?

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dianne aslett
Posted on 28 Jan 2009 1:29 pm (Report this annotation)

I have a chronic mental health problem and would very much like to be more involved with other people and be able to work. However, I would need a great deal of support by people who knew how to support me effectively. Unfortunately I don't have the confidence that those put in place to give that support in the workplace would be able to do it well. I don't know what training these people have and would very much like to know what their training consists of.
Mostly people don't understand the problems I struggle with, and my trying out work seems to be fraught with complications, bureaucracy in particular, and questions of my being acknowledged in need of benefit support should I fail. It feels risky enough for me to work with my mental health struggles, but if I tried, I don't feel the system is flexible enough, insightful enough or kind enough to protect my well-being, whatever the results.