A report said that the government needed to take urgent action to make sure support and training were available to get more people with mental illness into work.
Source: Vocational Rehabilitation: What is it, who can deliver it and who pays?, Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (020 7827 8300) and College of Occupational Therapists
Links: Report | SCMH press release | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Dec
A report provided the first evidence of the impact of the 'pathways to work' programme (for incapacity benefits claimants) in the expansion districts, indicating the level of consistency in the impact of pathways across areas. It also considered the impact of pathways on the receipt of jobseeker's allowance. The impact in the expansion areas appeared to be more short-term than in the original pilot areas.
Source: Helen Bewley, Richard Dorsett and Sergio Salis, The Impact of Pathways on Benefit Receipt in the Expansion Areas, Research Report 552, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2008-Dec
A study for the health and safety at work inspectorate sought to corroborate Labour Force Survey statistics on the incidence of work-related ill-health, workplace injuries, and average number of days absent, using a broad range of surveys by employer organizations from 2003 to 2007. None of the surveys considered was directly comparable with the LFS, and the complexity of differences between the employer surveys made it difficult to draw any comparison with the LFS.
Source: Eileen Holmes, The Feasibility of Comparing Sickness Absence Surveys and the Labour Force Survey, Research Report RR673, Health and Safety Executive, HSE Books (01787 881165)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Dec
A report for the equality and human rights watchdog said that disabled people and people with long-term illnesses were more likely to perceive themselves as subject to negative treatment at work.
Source: Ralph Fevre, Amanda Robinson, Trevor Jones and Duncan Lewis, Work Fit For All: Disability, health and the experience of negative treatment in the British workplace, Equality and Human Rights Commission (020 3117 0235)
Links: Guardian report | People Management report | Community Care report
Note: The EHRC has removed links to this report from its website without explanation.
Date: 2008-Nov
A report examined the organization of disability employment advisers across Jobcentre Plus, and considered the advantages and disadvantages of each different organizational model.
Source: Carol Goldstone, Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) Organisation in Jobcentre Plus, Research Report 539, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2008-Nov
A report presented the findings of an exploratory qualitative study to investigate the experiences of people with a mental health condition who had continued to work in paid employment while unwell.
Source: Annie Irvine, Managing Mental Health and Employment, Research Report 537, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2008-Nov
In the period July 2007 to June 2008, around 5.8 million scheduled working days were lost to sickness or injury – 1.5 per cent of scheduled working days. This was slightly lower than in the previous year. Women, and those working in the public sector, were most likely to be absent from work because of sickness or injury.
Source: Debra Leaker, 'Sickness absence from work in the UK', Economic & Labour Market Review, November 2008, Office for National Statistics, Palgrave Macmillan (01256 329242)
Links: Article | ONS press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2008-Nov
An article examined the impact on incomes of introducing the new employment and support allowance (replacing incapacity benefit from October 2008 onwards).
Source: Alan Franco, 'The economic impact of the introduction of employment and support allowance', Benefits, Volume 16 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Oct
A think-tank report examined the significance of mental ill-health for businesses and society, the benefits of remaining in employment for those with mental health conditions, and the barriers to doing so. It said that employers should be encouraged to take on responsibility for the provision of appropriate support, and advocated a range of mechanisms which the government should explore to offer effective incentives.
Source: Jessica Prendergrast, Beth Foley and Tom Richmond, Shifting Responsibilities, Sharing Costs: The mental health challenge for welfare reform, Social Market Foundation (020 7222 7060)
Links: Report | DWP press release | Speech | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Oct
From 27 October 2008 incapacity benefit was abolished for new claimants and replaced by a new employment and support allowance. People claiming the new allowance would be subject to a 'work capability assessment' conducted by a health professional. The new assessment was designed to identify what people could do, rather than what they could not. People assessed as having the severest disabilities or health conditions would go into the 'support group' and receive more money: everyone else would go into the 'work group.'
Source: Press release 27 October 2008, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: DWP press release | Hansard | CPAG press release | Scope press release | Rethink press release | MHF press release | Durham University press release | Conservative Party press release | BBC report | Personnel Today report | Inside Housing report | Community Care report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Oct
A report synthesized the findings from the various strands of the evaluation of 'Pathways to Work', relating to new and repeat incapacity benefits claimants in the original seven pilot areas. The results of 13 previously published reports were summarized, covering claimant and adviser views and experiences, impact, and cost-benefit assessment. A linked report examined the experiences of existing claimants in the pilot areas.
Source: Richard Dorsett, Pathways to Work for New and Repeat Incapacity Benefits Claimants: Evaluation synthesis report, Research Report 525, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040) | Jon Hales, Oliver Hayllar, Christianah Iyaniwura and Martin Wood, Pathways to Work: The Experiences of Existing Customers – Findings from a survey of existing incapacity benefits customers in the first seven pilot areas, Research Report 527, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report 525 | Summary 525 | Report 527 | Summary 527
Date: 2008-Oct
An article examined the different ways in which insecure and permanent workers managed their ill-health while in work. People in insecure jobs were less likely than those in secure employment to be entitled to sick pay, and were consequently more likely to claim incapacity-related benefits when they became sick.
Source: Jacqueline Davidson and Peter Kemp, 'Sickness benefits in a polarised labour market', Benefits, Volume 16 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Oct
A report said that increasing healthcare professionals' involvement, and engaging more effectively with employers, were both key to helping people with long-standing health problems return to work. Health was perceived by unemployed people with health problems as the main barrier preventing them from working, yet health advice was not always an integral part of back-to-work support programmes for incapacity benefit claimants. Healthcare professionals generally did not have the training and knowledge to advise on employment issues.
Source: Ruth Francis, Helen Barnes, Daniel Lucy, Joy Oakley and Jenny Savage, Helping People Who Are Out of Work Because of Ill-health Return to Work, Research Report 460, Institute for Employment Studies (01273 686751)
Links: Summary | IES press release
Date: 2008-Oct
A report presented the findings of a qualitative research project to investigate the relationship between mental health and employment. The study was designed to address a gap in knowledge about the circumstances that led people to claim incapacity benefit because of a mental health condition, and what factors contributed to people with mental health conditions returning to work after a period on incapacity benefit. The study also explored employers' understanding and experience of dealing with mental health conditions in the workplace.
Source: Roy Sainsbury et al., Mental Health and Employment, Research Report 513, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2008-Jul
Researchers examined the lives of nearly 2,000 disabled people, reporting their views on a range of the issues, including employment, education, transport, health, and discrimination. 9 out of10 working disabled people believed that their job had a positive impact on their life: but just over one-quarter felt more could have been done to help them stay in work.
Source: Bridget Williams, Phil Copestake, John Eversley and Bruce Stafford, Experiences and Expectations of Disabled People, Office for Disability Issues (office-for-disability-issues@dwp.gsi.gov.uk)
Links: Report | Summary | DWP press release | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Jul
An article examined the effect of continuous employment on psychological health. Continuous employment was associated with better psychological health in men. This effect was somewhat greater in those who showed evidence of poorer psychological health at the age of 26. In working women, cohabitation provided a protective effect on psychological health.
Source: Noriko Cable, Amanda Sacker and Mel Bartley, 'The effect of employment on psychological health in mid-adulthood: findings from the 1970 British Cohort Study', Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Volume 62 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-May
A survey found that the total number of days lost to sickness in 2007 fell slightly compared to the previous year: workers took an average of 6.7 days off sick, down from 7 days in 2006. The gap between the number of sick days taken by workers in the public and private sectors had widened to a record level.
Source: CBI/AXA Absence and Labour Turnover Survey 2008, Confederation of British Industry (020 7395 8247)
Links: CBI press release | Guardian report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2008-May
Researchers found that taking part in the Pathways to Work programme significantly increased the chances of long-term sick and disabled people finding work, with more people finding work more quickly than those who had not taken part in the scheme at all.
Source: Helen Bewley, Richard Dorsett and Marisa Ratto, Evidence on the Effect of Pathways to Work on Existing Claimants, Research Report 488, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040) | Roy Sainsbury et al., The Pathways Advisory Service: Placing Employment Advisers in GP Surgeries, Research Report 494, Department for Work and Pensions | Stuart Adam, Antoine Bozio, Carl Emmerson, David Greenberg and Genevieve Knight, A Cost-benefit Analysis of Pathways to Work for New and Repeat Incapacity Benefits Claimants, Research Report 498, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report 488 | Summary 488 | Report 494 | Summary 494 | Report 498 | Summary 498 | DWP press release
Date: 2008-May
A survey investigated the impact of depression on people's work and daily lives. 79 per cent of respondents worried that disclosing their depression to colleagues could be detrimental to them, and one-third of respondents thought they had been turned down for a job because of their depression.
Source: The Inside Story: The impact of depression on daily life, Depression Alliance (0845 123 2320)
Links: Report | Depression Alliance press release
Date: 2008-Apr
Researchers examined the key issues for people returning to work after an incapacity benefits claim, and how these issues were addressed by 'Pathways to Work' in-work support. People valued the tailored and flexible nature of the service. It was most useful for those who needed support with mental health or confidence issues, and was also 'highly valued' by those who had been out of work for a long time.
Source: Josie Dixon and Martha Warrener, Pathways to Work: Qualitative Study of In-work Support, Research Report 478, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report | Summary | DWP press release
Date: 2008-Apr
An article drew on a large-scale survey of disabled people to examine their employment outcomes. A new measure of 'disability employment penalties', taking account of other influences on labour market position, encouraged a broader view of disadvantage across distinct 'social constructs' including gender and ethnicity.
Source: Richard Berthoud, 'Disability employment penalties in Britain', Work, Employment and Society, Volume 22 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Mar
A paper examined the finding of previous research that people with mental health conditions who used the Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilot had a lower rate of return to work than those who did not use the service.
Source: Rebecca Taylor and Jane Lewis, Understanding the Impact of JRRP for People with Mental Health Conditions, Working Paper 45, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2008-Mar
Researchers examined the characteristics and circumstances of new claimants of incapacity benefit. Recent claimants were disproportionately male and drawn from older age groups. Just over half of recent claimants had had some connection with paid work immediately prior to their claim.
Source: Peter Kemp and Jacqueline Davidson, Routes onto incapacity benefit: findings from a survey of recent claimants, Research Report 469, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2008-Mar
The government announced the rates for the new work-focused employment and support allowance, which would replace incapacity benefits in Great Britain for all new and repeat claimants from October 2008. Claimants who passed the new work capability assessment and were identified as capable of taking part in some form of work-related activity would be entitled to claim ESA at a rate of £84.50 per week. Those identified as not able to take part in any work-related activity (the most severely disabled group) would have a guaranteed income of £102.10 per week (£17.60 more than the long-term rate of incapacity benefit), while everyone else in this category would receive a minimum of £89.50 per week.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 27 March 2008, columns 19-20WS, TSO (0870 600 5522) | The Welfare Reform Act 2007 (Commencement No. 6 and Consequential Provisions) Order 2008, Statutory Instrument 2008/787, TSO
Links: Hansard | DWP press release | Text of Statutory Instrument | CPAG press release | Citizens Advice press release | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Mar
An article examined patients' views of sickness certification within general practice consultations, and how these could be improved. Patients did not feel that being questioned by their family doctor or discussing return to work threatened the doctor-patient relationship.
Source: Kathryn O'Brien, Naomi Cadbury, Stephen Rollnick and Fiona Wood, 'Sickness certification in the general practice consultation: the patients' perspective, a qualitative study', Family Practice, Volume 25 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Mar
The government announced (in the Budget) that all incapacity benefit claimants would be required to attend the new 'work capability assessment' from April 2010 – not just (as previously proposed) claimants under 24 and new claimants.
Source: Budget 2008: Stability and opportunity – building a strong, sustainable future, HC 388, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Budget Report | Hansard | HMT press release | MHF press release | Liberal Democrats press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Mar
The government's adviser on welfare reform (David Freud) said that up to two-thirds of people claiming incapacity benefit were not entitled to it, and that the tests used to award the benefit were 'ludicrous'.
Source: The Daily Telegraph, 4 February 2008
Links: Telegraph report (1) | Telegraph report (2) | CPAG press release | EFD press release | BBC report
Date: 2008-Feb
A government minister said that he wanted to explore how family doctors could help to change the 'sick note culture' into a 'well note culture'.
Source: Speech by Alan Johnson MP (Secretary of State for Health), 20 February 2008
Links: Text of speech | DH press release | NHS Employers press release | Citizens Advice press release | EFD press release | Personnel Today report | Telegraph report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Feb
An article examined the relationship with the labour market for those living with long-term illness and their family members. It explored the role of family caring responsibilities and ethnicity in shaping patterns of employment participation.
Source: Lucinda Platt, Sarah Salway, Punita Chowbey and Kaveri Harriss, 'Ill health in the family: the intersection of employment and caring across households from four ethnic groups',Benefits, Volume 16 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Feb
Researchers found that the imposition of a sanction had a significant impact on the attendance of 'Pathways to Work' claimants at work-focused interviews: but there was limited evidence of wider voluntary engagement with the programme as a result. Sanctioning had an uneven financial impact across the sample, with evidence that sanctions hit the more socially deprived or isolated, or longer-term benefit recipients, harder.
Source: Karen Bunt and Anita Maidment, Qualitative Research Exploring the Pathways to Work Sanctions Regime, Research Report 475, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report | Summary | CPAG press release
Date: 2008-Jan
A review assessed research on 'what works' in terms of interventions that addressed employment outcomes for people with mental health problems. Improvements in mental health were associated with better employment outcomes. Receiving recommended primary care improved employment outcomes. Interventions to improve guideline implementation and adherence could also improve employment outcomes.
Source: Lisa Underwood, James Thomas, Teresa Williams and Anne Thieba, The Effectiveness of Interventions for People with Common Mental Health Problems on Employment Outcomes, EPPI-Centre/Social Science Research Unit/Institute of Education/University of London (020 7612 6050)
Date: 2008-Jan