UK Government 'distressing benefit claimants'

New benefit process 'distressing claimants'

The national rollout of benefits reassessment is causing widespread distress among incapacity benefit claimants with mental health problems, the charity Mind warned today.

In a new survey 87 per cent of people said that the prospect of reassessment had made them feel anxious and more than a third said that it had led to them increasing their medication.

The charity said that it was concerned the current Work Capability Assessment was not fit for purpose and called for a slowdown of the reassessment process "until the test is working fairly and effectively."

Chief executive Paul Farmer said: "We believe that the welfare system should support everyone - with dignity - who is unable to work or requires additional support because of a mental health problem. If someone is able to return to work, there should be personalised assistance and support to help them do so."

The survey was based on the responses of 316 people with mental health problems receiving the benefit, conducted between March 18 and 28. .