Man took his own life after being found 'fit to work' during benefits assessment

A coroner has ruled that a man with mental health problems took his own life as the result of Work Capability Assessment (WCA) finding him ‘fit to work’. Michael O’Sullivan, a 60 year old father from north London was found hanged after his disability benefits were removed, despite three doctors identifying that he had mental health problems and being certified unable to work by his GP.

The latest coroner ruling revealed that Mr O’Sullivan’s cause of death was a direct result of the anxiety caused by findings of the WCA, labelling him ‘fit to work’.

The senior coroner for inner north London, Mary Hassell, wrote to the DWP warning of her belief that there was a risk of similar deaths occurring in future unless preventative measures were taken.

She wrote: “I commenced an investigation into the death of Michael O’Sullivan, aged 60 years. The conclusion of the inquest was that Mr O’Sullivan took his own life by hanging, whilst suffering anxiety and depression.

“I found that the trigger for Mr O’Sullivan’s suicide was his recent assessment by a DWP doctor as being fit for work.

“During the course of the inquest, the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern. In my opinion, there is a risk that future deaths will occur.

“The DWP assessing doctor (who saw Mr O’Sullivan for a 90 minute consultation) did not take into account the views of any of Mr O’Sullivan’s treating doctors, saying that the ultimate decision maker would do that.

“However, the ultimate decision maker (who is not, I understand, medically qualified) did not request and so did not see any reports or letters from Mr O’Sullivan’s general practitioner (who had assessed him as being unfit for work), his psychiatrist or his clinical psychologist.

“In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe that you and Jobcentre Plus have the power to take such action.”

'The flawed assessment process often results in people getting an outcome which isn’t right for them'

The latest figures released in August, by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) revealed that almost 90 people died every month during 2011-2014 after they had been declared ‘fit to work’ as the result of Work Capability Assessment.

Currently, people who apply for out-of-work disability benefit, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) undertake a WCA to decide if they are eligible to receive support.

Chief executive of Mind, Paul Farmer, said: “We were deeply saddened to hear about the death of Michael O’Sullivan and our thoughts are with his loved ones at this difficult time. Unfortunately, we fear that this is not an isolated case. We have heard from many people who have contemplated and even attempted suicide, in large part due to the stress and uncertainty associated with changes to their benefits.

"The flawed assessment process often results in people getting an outcome which isn’t right for them. In addition, the punitive approach, which often involves threats and sanctions being imposed on people who are often already vulnerable due to their mental health and other disabilities, can create further anxiety. In some cases, there can be disastrous consequences.

“The Department for Work and Pensions needs to consider the impact that their actions are having on some of the most unwell and impoverished in society; as well as the huge financial implications for the NHS and crisis services. We need to see more tailored support to help people back into appropriate paid employment when they are ready, and regular clear, transparent and non-threatening communication about changes to benefits.

"We have long been calling for an assessment which recognises the impact a mental health problem can have on someone’s ability to work, and assessors who have expertise in mental health involved in the process used to decide whether or not someone is eligible for benefits.”

More than half of ESA claimants receive out-of-work benefit due to mental health problems

Earlier this month, Mind published the results of a study revealing that current Government Work Programme is making the lives of people living with mental health problems worse, with more than half of ESA claimants receiving out-of-work benefit due to mental health problems.

The scheme requires people to take up unpaid work or face losing their benefits and the charity reported that 83 per cent of people surveyed using the scheme had felt their mental health problems worsen as a result.

While the latest statistics published by the DWP revealed that fewer than nine per cent of people (165,860) with mental health problems being supported by ESA had been successfully helped into a job by the back-to-work scheme.

Policy and campaigns manager at Mind, Tom Pollard, said: "Time and time again we’ve seen just how few people with mental health problems are successfully helped into jobs by the Work Programme, and these latest figures show that there’s been little improvement.

“This scheme is failing people with mental health problems because they aren’t given the right support. If you have a mental health problem, CV-writing workshops will not help you overcome crippling anxiety or suicidal thoughts, and the threat of losing your benefits if you don’t comply is highly likely to make you far more unwell, not more motivated. This flawed, punitive approach is backfiring, making thousands more unwell and pushing them further away from work."

"We welcome the Government’s aspiration of halving the disability employment gap by helping a million more disabled people into work, but this will only happen if bold reforms are made. It’s high time the Government faced up to the fact that their current approach just isn't working for people with mental health problems and needs a fundamental rethink.

“Mind is calling on Employment Minister Priti Patel to radically overhaul the benefits system, to one with less focus on pressurising people and greater investment in tailored, personalised support. We want everyone with a mental health problem who is currently on the Work Programme taken off this scheme and offered support which acknowledge and address the challenges they face in getting and keeping a job."