Ms Kate Mitchell:

In accessing income support people with mental health difficulties, including young people, have reported a number of difficulties, including in liaisng with staff in the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. They often cannot access an advocate or bring one along with them to address some of the issues related to income support. That is a significant issue.

People with mental health difficulties have the highest rates of unemployment in comparison with any other disability group. More than 50% of participants in a recent study which was the subject of a report on disability allowance by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection reported mental health difficulties as being the reason they were in receipt of disability allowance. A few issues arise in that regard. For people with severe and sometimes enduring mental health difficulties, existing support and employment structures have not been successful in supporting them into employment. The Government is looking at the provision of individual placement support which is the international evidence based approach to supporting individuals into employment and which has proved to be very effective in other jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, France and Australia. For individuals on the more moderate scale of mental health difficulties, there is more flexibility in supporting them to enter employment and sustaining them in it. These supports are available within the work environment to ensure they do not fall out of work or, if they do, that they can be supported back into work quickly.