Providing advice to people receiving mental health care in both hospital and community settings is critical to effective care and recovery, according to a new report from Centre for Mental Health.
The report, Stability beyond care, commissioned by Citizens Advice, finds that welfare advice provided by specialist voluntary sector providers can improve mental wellbeing, reduce stress, prevent homelessness, and speed up discharge from mental health hospitals.
Financial insecurity is a major driver of poor mental health, and pressures of poverty, unstable income, debt and insecure housing intensify mental distress and increase the risk of hospital admissions. The report presents evidence from three mental health and welfare partnerships across England and finds that the voluntary sector plays a critical role in providing welfare advice in both inpatient and community mental health care settings.
Integrating specialist welfare advice into mental health care can contribute to preventing mental health and welfare crises before they escalate, and ensure that people receive the entitlements and protections they need to recover. After getting advice on a range of issues impacting people’s lives and health – including income, housing and debt – people report feeling more in control of their lives and better able to manage future problems, reassured that there is a reliable safety net to support them, the report finds.
Advice services in in-patient settings also reduce the pressure on overstretched NHS staff, enabling mental health practitioners to focus on clinical care.
The report calls for dedicated funding to all NHS mental health service providers to enable the creation of welfare advice services across the country that are embedded into everyday community mental health care as well as inpatient settings.
Andy Bell, chief executive at Centre for Mental Health, said: “Welfare advice should be a part of any mental health service anywhere. High quality advice, provided by properly trained and managed workers, makes mental health services better and more efficient. The forthcoming Modern Service Framework for serious mental illness in England is an opportunity to embed welfare advice as a core offer, not an added extra. It should be available in every neighbourhood mental health service, and every inpatient unit, provided by expert organisations like Citizens Advice so that it is reliable and independent.”
Stephen Amba lost his job before he was admitted to hospital due to a mental health crisis. He said: “I was referred to the [Citizens Advice Sheffield] mental health advice team as I had claimed Universal Credit but wasn’t receiving any benefit from them. I didn’t know about other entitlement or what I could claim. The mental health advice team came to see me on the ward very quickly and they advised me what I was entitled to and filled out the Universal Credit questionnaire and PIP forms with me.”
“I would not have been able to fill out the forms without this help because when I am in mental health crisis I find it difficult to focus.”
Laura Hutchinson, Head of Public Affairs at Citizens Advice, said: “Everyday our advisors see the impact of financial insecurity on mental health. Pressures like debt, unstable income and insecure housing can quickly become overwhelming and push people into crisis.
“Access to timely welfare advice is essential – not just for financial stability, but for protecting people’s mental health. Early support helps restore a sense of control, preventing problems from spiralling into crisis and reducing the need for repeat in-patient admissions.”
Salma Yasmeen, Chief Executive at Sheffield Health Partnership University Trust said: “In Sheffield, we have seen for many years the difference that trusted welfare advice embedded within mental health services can make to people’s recovery. Our long-standing partnership with Citizens Advice Sheffield helps people navigate challenges around debt, housing, and financial insecurity alongside their mental health care, supporting more sustainable recovery and successful discharge from hospital.
“We have also learnt in the region the importance of joining up health, welfare, and community support around people’s lives. This report rightly recognises that welfare advice is not an added extra, it is an essential part of effective mental health care.
Helen Undy, Chief Executive of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute – which has published separate analysis today calling on the government to join up money advice and mental health support – said: “Our research has shown that millions of people with mental health problems are facing serious financial hardship, from falling behind on bills to struggling to put food on the table. We’ve long known that financial and mental health difficulties go hand in hand – it’s absolutely vital that support for these problems is linked up too. The government has a once in a lifetime opportunity to deliver that through the Neighbourhood Health Services – we’re urging it to take that chance by ensuring that advice on debt, benefits and other financial issues is provided in every one of these services as a key priority.”
