News Release, 11 September 2003
On Thursday 11 September the Mental Health Foundation will launch A Fair Day's Pay - an essential guide to benefits, payments and service user involvement.
This practical guide is written from the perspective of organisations who deal daily with the tension between the need for service user involvement and the effects of involvement on users' benefits. It stretches beyond user involvement in mental health services - and can be used by a range of public sector organisations and employers including NHS Trusts, Health Authorities and Local Authorities.
While user involvement in monitoring, developing and researching improvements in mental health and other services is now well established, there is a widespread struggle to make it work. This is because statutory and voluntary agencies and service users are facing a hugely complex benefits system.
One example is that users of mental health or learning disability services who are asked to become involved in monitoring and developing health and care provision are usually in receipt of incapacity benefits. This is often their sole income and it is not secure. Breaches of benefit rules can lead to their income being disallowed.
Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation and the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities said:
"Modern service development relies heavily on the involvement and expertise of the consumer. Service users who receive benefits are routinely asked to give their time freely alongside others who are paid for the same work - their expenses should be met, at the very least.
Service providers may easily be put off involving service users, as nobody wants to make a mistake and see people lose their income. This is a complex and troubling situation, on which A Fair Day's Pay sheds light."
A Fair Day's Pay gives advice and guidance on: starting service user involvement for NHS Trusts, local authorities and voluntary organisations, advice to service users who are considering becoming involved in improving services; permitted work rules; additional information for employers; Who's Who in dealing with benefits, and sources of additional information.
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For further information and interview requests contact please contact the press office on 020 7803 1105 / 1128 or email the press office
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