Hafal has joined forces with over 50 charities across the UK to form the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC), a group committed to working towards a fair benefits system. The DBC seeks to ensure UK Government policy reflects and meets the needs of all disabled people including those with a serious mental illness. Take a look at our work here.
Meanwhile long experience has told us that you can't engage clients effectively about employment if you don't simultaneously cover benefits because of the understandable anxiety and practical concern about the potential impact of seeking work - or even expressing interest in work - on an individual's benefits.
This has always been so but in recent times the benefits reform agenda of the present UK Government - and most recently the 1% cap (which means a real-term cut) in some benefits including ESA - is preoccupying clients more than ever. For this reason our Lottery-funded Small Steps employment project includes information about benefits in its advice to clients: see more about the project here.
