5:50am Tuesday 8th December 2009
EMPLOYEES of small firms in the south who suffer from mental health problems are to benefit from a dedicated advice line.
Helplines are to be piloted in nine areas across the country – including south Hampshire and the Isle of Wight – to support small businesses in keeping people in work when health issues arise.
The move was announced by the Government yesterday as part of a wider overhaul of support for people with mental health conditions.
In addition to piloting the health advice lines, a new network of mental health co-ordinators will be deployed in every Jobcentre Plus district to make better use of health and employment support at a local level and improve the employment chances of Jobcentre users.
Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that, as of last year, 102,740 people in south east England claimed incapacity benefit for mental and behavioural disorders.
The DWP said mental ill-health was the most common reason for claiming health-related benefits and cost the economy between £30bn and £40bn.
One in six people have a mental health problem and it is the second most common cause of death in men aged 14 to 44.
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