Scottish Drugs Forum
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22 November 2011
The UK Government’s Welfare Reform Bill will increase the level of drug problems in Scotland and undermine Scotland’s national strategy to promote recovery from damaging drug use, according to Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF).
In a written submission to the Scottish Parliament, SDF says it is “deeply concerned” about the Welfare Reform Bill, which could become law in early 2012. The Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee is taking the last of three open evidence sessions today as part of its scrutiny of the impact of the Bill on Scotland.
The SDF submission says the Welfare Reform Bill will:
SDF says it is “strongly opposed” to major aspects of the Bill because of:
disadvantaged
“Sanctions do not take into account that people with drug problems are disadvantaged through their life circumstances such as poverty, often combined with suffering from serious and life-diminishing mental health or physical problems; examples include long-standing depression linked to past trauma or advanced liver disease through contraction of a blood borne virus such as Hepatitis C.
“It must be fully acknowledged by the UK, as it is by the Scottish Government, that relapse – and recurring relapse – is a universally recognised feature in the pathway of recovery which for some can last for a considerable period.
“This is why a sanctions-based approach is unfair, unrealistic and counter-productive to aiding recovery and reducing costs to the public purse.
detrimental
“The experience of Employment Support and Allowance (ESA) and Work Capability Assessments (WCA) can be utilised to illustrate the negative impact of welfare reform on already disadvantaged groups.
“A work capability assessment will often be required to assess whether an individual is unable to work and therefore receive Employment and Support Allowance. The work capability assessments are undertaken by ATOS Healthcare.
“Anecdotal evidence and feedback from service users indicate that the process is unfair and detrimental to attempts at recovery from drug problems.
“Services and service users have reported that the uncertainty around benefits entitlement undermines stability.
“Perhaps more seriously services and service users we have spoken to have reported that the work capability assessment itself can be a very stressful experience and indeed a trigger to relapse.
“The work capability assessment does not appear fit for purpose in relation to assessing personal trauma, mental health problems and other relevant factors associated with drug dependency.
“Service users have felt that their drug and associated problems have been entirely neglected during assessments. Services and service users have reported that there appears to be a focus on physical issues such as mobility and that mental health issues are ignored.
“The fluctuating nature of attempts to recover from drug dependency also appear not to be taken into account during assessments.”
relapse
The submission says: “Scottish Drugs Forum recently undertook focus group with substance users on housing issues. There was a consensus among participants that difficulties with accommodation could directly contribute to relapsing or reducing motivation to make the effort to recover.
“ Participants made the point that a person needs to feel that they are living in a stable and secure setting when making attempt at recovery.
“Services are also reporting that worker time is increasingly being taken up with necessary welfare rights issues, particularly in relation to ESA and WCA. This detracts form time which should be focussed on therapeutic interventions. The Welfare Reform proposals are likely to increase this trend and again this will undermine Scotland’s Road to Recovery strategy.
“Even without the proposed reforms, there are serious questions regarding the current benefit levels (such as Jobseeker’s Allowance) providing anything approximating to an acceptable standard of living for a person with limited assets and trying to (a) recover from a drug problem and past personal trauma and (b) seek a job during tough economic times and widespread employer discrimination.”
Download SDF’s written submission to the Scottish Parliament on the UK Welfare Reform Bill here (Word 55kb)
See the Scottish Parliament website briefing on its work on the UK Welfare Reform Bill.