News
Streatham JobCentre Protest against Workfare Psychology
New evidence on the coercive use of psychology to ‘change the attitude’ of claimants was published this week. At the same time, the DWP confirmed plans to put 350 psychologists into JobCentres.
Mental health services in exchange for job seeking
Streatham Job Centre will be the first of 10 pilot sites to bring CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) into JobCentres. And the opening of Lambeth ‘Living Well Hub’ for Community Mental Health Services in the same building is planned for Monday 29th June.
As the Mental Health Resistance Network has pointed out, these together amount to an extension of the coercive powers of the 1983 Mental Health Act, with psychologists pressured to act as state enforcers and claimants potentially subject to sanctions for refusing therapy.
Whereas at present people can only be forced into “treatment” under in-patient Sections of this Act or by Community Treatment Orders, making welfare benefits and by extension housing conditional on agreeing to psychological treatment broadens the principle of compulsion.
The psychological coercion and manipulation that claimants face are inspiring a strong and growing fight back. In the face of widespread press and social media coverage, the British Psychological Society has finally made a statement ‘expressing concern‘ (it’s only taken them 18 months). We’re still waiting for an enquiry.
Claimants, service users and mental health survivors are organising to resist the use of psychology and pseudo-psychology to force people off benefits. Psychologists Against Austerity and many other mental health professionals are also mobilising against these developments. Let’s keep up the pressure!
What you can do:
Join the protest at Streatham JobCentre Friday 26th June: Meet at 1.30pm Streatham Memorial Gardens, Streatham High Road/Streatham Common North, London SW16. The Facebook event is here.
Have a look at these blogs and press reports for more information.
The link to an academic paper by two members of Boycott Workfare is here
And come along to the BW social after the austerity march on Saturday 20th June! 6pm at the Old Fire Station, Holloway.