. . . . an exciting new project to enable us to assist clients with a mental health condition

This year has seen the start of an exciting new project to enable us to assist clients with a mental health condition who may find it difficult to access our service through the usual channels i.e. by telephoning or visiting the Bureau. Steve Pratt (left, at the Zest Cafe) joined us as the outreach project worker in March and is able to see clients at a weekly drop-in session at the Zest Cafe, the Stewart Lodge of the Yeatman Hospital and at Bute House Surgery. Referrals can be made by professionals working within the mental health field or by clients themselves.

Those with mental health conditions tend to have more difficulty navigating through the Benefits and Tax Credits system, especially when it comes to collecting and sending in evidence of income, attending medical examinations and going through the appeals process. This group may find it more difficult to avoid getting into debt, and find it more stressful to deal with debt once they are in it.

 

How we can help . . . .

Aside from just providing support in writing letters and making phone calls, the Citizens Advice Bureau can use the many laws and regulations that exist to help those with mental health conditions a few examples of which are:

• With evidence of a mental health condition, claimants can often be shown to have "good cause" for not turning up to a medical examination for disability benefits
• The Lending Code, which governs all banks and credit suppliers, has specific sections relating to lenders'obligations when dealing with customers who have mental health issues
• Mortgage lenders are bound by the Lending Code, and specific protocols brought in at the start of the recession in 2008. Social landlords in particular have a number of obligations towards their tenants, especially disabled tenants (see below)
• Those with mental health conditions may not think of themselves as having a disability, but the Equality Act of 2010 covers someone with agoraphobia in just the same way it covers someone in a wheelchair

To be helped under this project, someone would need to be on a treatment programme or medication for mental health problems, or at least to have approached their doctor with anxiety or depression. In addition, someone suffering with e.g. Alzheimer's, or someone who has learning difficulties, can be seen, as well as carers/partners (where an issue is linked in some way to their being a carer or partner of someone with a mental health problem) and issues affecting the children of someone with a mental health problem
Clients can be referred for an appointment at either of two outreach venues, which operate on alternate Tuesdays:

• The Stewart Lodge, Yeatman Hospital - every other Tuesday 10:00-12:30
• Bute House Surgery, Sherborne - every other Tuesday 13:00-15:30

And there is a drop-in service at:

• Zest Cafe (The Sherborne Centre for Wellbeing, formerly known as the Four-Leaf Clover Club) on the first Wednesday of each month between 10:30 and 12:30