It didn’t seem possible for universal credit to be any worse for people’s mental health – until now

The recent coronavirus outbreak has seen the UK witness unprecedented levels of panic and confusion.

Across the globe, governments have taken cautionary methods to deal with the pandemic, all to different degrees. But with mounting confusion, viral photos of empty supermarket aisles and toilet paper becoming a hot commodity, the UK’s measures have, perhaps rightly, received heavy backlash.

Of course, as with any virus that can kill, we should take all of the measures necessary to protect the most vulnerable in our society. But when we talk about “protection” do we just mean for people’s physical safety?

For too long now, we have ignored the mental health of the disenfranchised, especially in relation to the welfare state. What makes this more worrying now, is the further strain coronavirus is already putting these people under, especially when it comes to the mental and physical health of those on Universal Credit.

Already we have seen a link between the new benefit and the rise in mental-ill health. A recently published report in The Lancet followed 52,187 people of working age in England, Wales and Scotland and it found an increase of nearly 7 per cent in the mental distress individuals claiming Universal Credit.

Although the link is not causal, there is a serious correlation that we are ignoring. The study, which is the first of its kind to study the effects of the new benefit on mental health says that there are “growing calls for universal credit to be fundamentally modified to reduce these mental health harms.

The current pandemic has shone a spotlight on issues with Universal Credit, such as the famously demanding requirements of looking for work. Although the introduction of new temporary measures such as the suspension of sanctions for those who have been diagnosed with the virus (and are unable to keep up with the requirements) sound helpful, they do seem more like a short-term cosmetic solution.

Indeed, it is a good starting point in terms of the outbreak – but what about the aftermath? Longstanding issues with the entire scheme, such as the waiting period for the first payment, will still need to be addressed then, just as they need to be addressed now.

And even under the current measures, there is a lack of clarity in the DWP’s approach to the outbreak. The government has said that you need to let your local centre know “in good time” if you are self-isolating but what about people who don’t have access to the internet? The two ways of contacting your work coach are by using the online journal or calling the helpline, and as the recent general election highlighted, plenty of people in the UK live without broadband.

These difficulties are even more intensified if you are already struggling. Take for example, former refugees who have recently been granted asylum. Their grasp of the English language may be restricted, and they may be dealing with all of the toils and turmoil that comes with “integration”. On top of all of this, they have to navigate a system that ultimately doesn’t work, exposing them to long delays and punitive sanctions under Universal Credit. This will all undoubtedly have a serious negative effect on mental health. I’ve already written about members of my own Somali community who are refugees and struggling with PTSD and more recently, I’ve seen numerous examples of former Somali refugees struggling to navigate the Universal Credit system especially against the backdrop of civil strife.

This is mainly a governmental issue. The way society has responded to the outbreak shows that yes, there is a distinct sense of individualism in the UK but also the core principles of the welfare state that are supposed to run “from cradle to grave” are being compromised. The 2013 benefit reforms were supposed to simplify the welfare system but even doctors have raised concerns that the reforms are damaging health, placing even more pressure on GPs through increased workloads.

So, if the current Universal Credit system is currently failing people (with or without the threat of coronavirus) and also placing pressure on other public services, then it is about time it was re-imagined with the end-user’s physical and mental health in mind. Personally, I’m pessimistic about the government making that a reality, but if Boris Johnson’s promise to level us all up is true, let’s hope that includes those who need it most.