Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2018
69. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to introduce flexibility and support in the social welfare system for persons with mental health difficulties. [8302/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraRecent research by the ESRI and the OECD has drawn attention to the prevalence of mental health conditions in the working-age population. Through the operation of the income support system managed by my Department and the health service managed by the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Government recognises the need for flexible and effective support for persons who encounter mental health difficulties. Both an effective income support system and health services are key to addressing these difficulties but the research has also demonstrated that work can be an important factor in recovery, in particular for people with mental health issues. The Make Work Pay report for People with Disabilities, published last year, identified the need for flexibility in both the income support and the health (medical card) systems. This is particularly the case where a person with a disability takes up a job but that job does not work out. Anxiety in such circumstances can be particularly pronounced amongst those with mental health issues, given the episodic nature of such conditions.
One of the recommendations of the Make Work Pay report was to put in place and promote a system for fast-track reinstatement of income support payments to people with disabilities who have returned to work, and have subsequently had to leave their job within one year.
As a first step in implementing this recommendation a fast-track return to disability allowance protocol has now been put in place. In addition to this initiative, people who are participating on the partial capacity benefit scheme may return to illness benefit or invalidity pension if they find that they cannot continue to work.
My Department also provides a wide range of work related supports for people with disabilities, including people with mental health difficulties, which they or their employers, where appropriate, can access while in receipt of income support payments. These include the Wage Subsidy Scheme, the EmployAbility service and employment support grants for people with disabilities.
Most recently, the Department participated as a partner organisation in the Integrating Employment and Mental Health Service project, which ran between 2015 and 2017. The aim of this project was to demonstrate how existing employment services (specifically the EmployAbility service) could practice the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment for clients with severe and enduring mental health issues. An evaluation report, Steps into Work, was published on the 8th February last and found that through improved integration between mental health services and employment support services, improvements can be achieved in the employment outcomes of people with mental health difficulties.
My Department is now collaborating with the Department of Health and the HSE to extend the availability of IPS to all Mental Health Services in each Community Healthcare Organisation. This will see funding from the HSE Service Reform Fund (SRF) and funding from the HSE’s Clinical Programmes for 27.5 IPS employment specialists for a three year period.
I look forward to seeing better health and employment outcomes delivered as a result of this good example of interagency collaboration.
