6th December 2006
UnumProvident, the UK’s leading disability insurer, has welcomed the Government’s Pre-Budget Report announcements on incapacity benefit and mental ill-health. UnumProvident is particularly supportive of the Government’s call for primary care professionals to recognise employment as an effective tool for mental-ill health rehabilitation. Equal support is also given to the Government’s statement that raising awareness of mental wellbeing in the workforce is key to helping sufferers get back into work.
Joanne Hindle, Corporate Services Director at UnumProvident, responded to the Pre-Budget Report:
The direction of the Government's agenda on mental health and the workplace is welcome. UnumProvident’s own research found that 77% of employees believed that admitting mental-ill health to their employer would damage their future career.
Because of the stigma associated with mental ill-health, many employees may not feel comfortable approaching their employers with mental ill-health problems, such as stress or depression. It is widely accepted within the rehabilitation industry that early intervention is key, and yet such a reluctance to discuss these matters can delay early intervention and frustrate eventual rehabilitation back into the workplace.
It is essential that employers are supported to help disabled people, including those with mental health problems, to find and retain employment.
The Pre-Budget Report highlights the importance of the ‘Pathways to Work’ programme, which helps those on Incapacity Benefit back into employment. These initiatives were also welcomed by UnumProvident at the time of their announcement.
ENDS