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Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on October 30, 2008
Journal of Public Health 2009 31(1):74-80; doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdn098
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© The Author 2008, Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved

Mental health as a reason for claiming incapacity benefit—a comparison of national and local trends



Judith Brown, Research Fellow Healthy Working Lives Group1

Phil Hanlon, Professor of Public Health1

Ivan Turok, Professor of Urban Economic Development2

David Webster, Housing Strategy Manager3

James Arnott, Senior Policy Development Officer3

Ewan B. Macdonald, Head of Healthy Working Lives Group1
1 Public Health and Health Policy Section, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8RZ, UK
2 Department of Urban Studies, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8RS, UK
3 Development and Regeneration Services, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow G1 1QU, UK

Address correspondence to Judith Brown, E-mail: j.brown{at}clinmed.gla.ac.uk


  Abstract

Background Getting incapacity benefit (IB) claimants into work has become a focus for policy makers. Strategies to help this group depend on an understanding of the reasons for claiming benefit at a local level where variations from a national strategy may be needed.

Methods Data supplied by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was analysed to establish reasons for claiming benefit in Scotland and Glasgow between 2000 and 2007.

Results There has been a continuing rise in mental health diagnosis and a corresponding fall in musculoskeletal diagnosis during this period. More people were claiming because of mental health problems in Glasgow than in Scotland. Also those with a poor employment history (credits-only claimants) are more likely to claim IB because of a mental health problem. This study has shown a breakdown into 25 categories those claiming IB because of a mental health problem.

Conclusion DWP data can be used to provide important insights into the trends in reasons for claiming IB, in particular those claiming because of mental health problems. This study also highlighted the growing importance of problems caused by alcohol and drug-abuse claimants, a subset of the mental health category. DWP data should be used at a local as well as a national level to guide and evaluate interventions to help this vulnerable group.

Keywords: incapacity benefit, mental health


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