Benefits Cuts Risk Deepening Mental Health Crisis for People on Low Incomes.

Leading mental health charity Mind is warning benefit cuts will be devastating, as new research reveals people on low incomes are also worst hit by the impacts of mental health waiting lists.  

There are currently 1.6 million people on mental health waiting lists. The charity’s findings show how the wait for treatment is worsening people’s mental health, increasing physical health problems, and deepening financial stress, as well as causing relationship difficulties and breakdowns. But these outcomes are far more likely for people on low incomes (under £19k), who are also more likely to engage with mental health crisis services and leave employment while they wait for treatment. 

The charity says its research, released today, is further evidence of the toxic relationship between poverty and mental health as people struggle to meet basic needs, and face choices between heating and eating, all while waiting for desperately needed support. Mind says the UK government’s proposed cuts to benefits will worsen the nation’s mental health and shift costs and additional demands onto the NHS and other services. 

Worsening mental and physical health, finances, work and relationships.

Mind surveyed more than 1500 people with mental health problems about their experiences of mental health waiting lists, it found: 

Three in four (75%) of people on low incomes said their mental health got worse while on a waiting list, compared to 64% of people earning above £40k. 

Two in three (67%) people on low incomes said they experienced a deterioration in their physical health while waiting for treatment, compared to just 53% for people earning over £40k. 

Nearly one in three (30%) people on low incomes said they’d been in contact with mental health crisis services while waiting, compared to less than one in five (19%) of people earning over £40k. 

Of those who said their work was impacted by waiting lists, nearly two in five (39%) of people on low incomes had to stop working compared with 19% of those earning over £40k. 

More than half (54%) of people on a low income said their financial situation got worse while on a mental health waiting list, compared to 37% of people earning over £40k. 

A national plan for waiting lists and the risks of benefit cuts.

Mind is calling on the government to rethink cuts to benefits, which will drive people into poverty, and instead tackle the wider barriers people face to entering and staying in work. 

The charity calls for a detailed plan to tackle mental health waiting lists, like the government’s Elective Reform Plan for physical health conditions, so more people can be well enough to work. The charity is also calling for mental health to be prioritised in its upcoming 10-year Health Plan and Spending Review. 

Shane’s story.

Shane was a youth worker, but the physical and mental demands were making them feel more disabled, so they felt they had little choice but to hand in their notice. 

Shane has been on various waiting lists for extended periods. Due to their various diagnoses, Shane has had complicated interactions with their medications and needs to see a psychiatrist to help manage this. They have been on the waiting list to see a psychiatrist since May 2023. Shane has also been on a waiting list for NHS talking therapy since June of last year. 

“Being on a low income and waiting lists - it’s a spiral. You’re asking yourself, do I have enough to make my rent and cover my bills? It just becomes so stressful. All this while you’re trying to manage your mental health but waiting for treatment that is supposed to help you get better. And all of that just makes it harder to work and then you're battling the benefits system and all the challenges that brings. 

Shane currently receives Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and is concerned about what the changes will mean for them - “PIP is essential for getting support aids to be able to keep functioning and have a sense of quality of life.” 

Shane is currently a student and gets by in the meantime by spending time with friends and being in queer spaces to support their well-being, spending time with their mother who also has mental health problems and going to a weekly support group at Manchester Mind. 

India’s story.

“I’ve been on waiting lists for support since I was with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. None of it has been quick. None of it. 

“I wish there was more understanding and more opportunities for people like me. If you have lots of additional barriers to deal with, such as a low income, it can make your mental health ten times worse. It’s just one more thing to deal with. 

“Sitting on waiting lists makes me feel like no one cares like I’m not important. Because if I was, they’d see me more urgently. I know there’s a big need for support out there, but it’s hard not to take it personally. It’s a personal thing – it’s my life, and someone else is controlling it. Someone behind a desk just reviewing a form and carrying on their day. But for some people getting help when they need it is life or death. Some people won’t ever get to the top of that list. 

“I know people who couldn’t wait and now they’re not here anymore.” 

Dr Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of Mind, said:  “This research shows the toxic relationship between poverty and mental health. Behind each of these numbers is a real person struggling with their mental health and, for too many, the extra challenges of poor housing, insecure work and covering the cost of living. It’s a story our local Minds see in their communities and it’s a story that will only get worse if the government presses ahead with cuts to benefits. 

“The government’s proposals to slash the safety net that many depend on while they wait for treatment risks creating a devastating situation for people with mental health problems. These changes would do nothing to tackle the barriers to work faced by people with mental health problems, and instead plunge individuals into poverty, put people at risk of worsening health outcomes, and make tackling waiting lists an even greater challenge. 

“The UK government has an ambitious plan to fix the NHS, but if ministers are serious about this, they must give mental and physical health the same focus and attention, and match words with actions. We have a detailed plan to tackle elective waiting lists, where is the plan for mental health? We can and must do better.”