This World Mental Health Day the Member of Parliament for the City of Lincoln, Karl McCartney MP, is echoing the call of Citizens Advice staff and volunteers and urging people to seek advice for their debt, benefits and employment problems.
New national research from Citizens Advice finds:
· Two in three Citizens Advice clients feel stressed, depressed or anxious as a result of the problem they came to the charity for help about;
· Almost three in four people (73 per cent) seeking debt help from Citizens Advice said their money worries were making them feel stressed, depressed or anxious;
· After debt problems benefits are the issue second most likely to damage people’s mental health (67 per cent);
· Employment problems are third most likely to cause people distress (65 per cent);
· After receiving advice, four in five people said they felt their mental wellbeing improved as a result of the help they received from Citizens Advice.
Karl McCartney MP, Lincoln’s Member of Parliament, said: “Poor mental health is the largest cause of disability in the UK and I think it is right that local CAB offices and local Members of Parliament do all we can to help people seek advice for their debt, benefits and employment problems.
“I am particularly pleased that Ministers in my Conservative-led Government have now taken steps to ensure that mental health conditions are treated with the same importance as physical health and that shorter waiting times for mental health treatment, including talking therapies, are now a priority for the NHS.
“I have worked very closely with our local Cab Office in Lincoln to assist their clients and my constituents on a whole range of issues and I look forward to continuing this successful relationship in the future.”
Sarah Pulford, the Generalist Advice Service Manager at Lincoln & District CAB, said: “For people struggling to make ends meet money worries lead many to feel stressed, depressed and anxious.
“The impact of the economic downturn and changes to benefits have increased these worries for people.
“In 2013-14 65% of all enquires to Lincoln CAB involved benefits and/or debt, removing these worries through advice and assistance improves wellbeing for individuals and their families.”
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For further information, please contact Karl McCartney MP at [email protected] / 020 7219 7221.