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Uptake of welfare benefits by psychiatric patients

PRiSM, Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF

^* Correspondence

The British benefit system provides for disabled people. However, disincentives within the existing system reduce uptake of benefit entitlements. The link between mental illness and poverty is now well known. If welfare benefits are essential for mentally ill people to function effectively in the community, then changes may be necessary to the current system. These changes include increasing the availability of accessible literature and information from both health and social services sources, further training for mental health staff, and the automatic evaluation of benefit entitlement by the Department of Social Security.