Welfare claimants face ‘psychocompulsion’

Welfare claimants face ‘psychocompulsion’

Lobby of the British Psychological Society (BPS) conference in Liverpool on Wednesday 18th January calling on the BPS to challenge all forms of psychocompulsion.

Psychological explanations for unemployment, together with mandatory activities are being used by the DWP to modify beliefs, attitude, disposition, or personality and force people into work. Make your feelings known about ‘psychocompulsion’. Lobby the British Psychological Society (BPS) conference on Wednesday 18th January. Come to the fringe events: www.psychologyfringe.com

While mental health services face big funding cuts the government has increased spending on draconian welfare reform initiatives targeted at people with mental health issues. The government’s reform agenda suggests unemployment is a psychological failure of the individual rather than the economy. It proposes ‘work therapy’ as the cure.

Plans include co-locating mental health services and job centres, placing therapists in Jobcentres, and employment advisors in GP surgeries. Health and social care professionals are being required to focus on employment-related targets with people with mental health needs. There is concern that benefit claimants will be forced to engage with these work therapies and sanctions applied to those who refuse.

In December it was revealed that seriously-ill James Harrison, from Netherley, died 10 months after the DWP told his GP not to write him any more sick notes: www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/netherley-dad-dies-10-months-12379703

The Clinical Psychology Fringe
Wednesday 18 January – Friday 20 January 2017
Venues TBC, Liverpool

Lobby of British Psychological Society
Wednesday 18 January, 9am – 11am
Outside Hilton Hotel, 3 Thomas Steers Way, Liverpool, L1 8LW

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