Add your name to calls for a Basic Income this Mental Health Awareness Week
This Mental Health Awareness Week we're calling on policy makers, mental health charities and politicians to consider basic income as a preventative mental health measure.
Join the calls by adding your name to the letter and make sure we're heard. To co-sign the letter complete this form.
As soon as the newly appointed mental health ministers are in post following the elections - we'll send them the letter. Add your name to show your support and we'll keep you updated on the progress.
The open letter reads:
This week is Mental Health Awareness week. This letter aims to raise awareness of basic income and how it could help people look after their mental health. It calls on policy makers, mental health charities and politicians to consider basic income as a preventative mental health measure.
A basic income is a regular cash payment that we would all receive. It’s universal, it goes to everyone. And there are no conditions on its payment. You don’t have to work or prove anything about yourself, your basic income is paid as a right.
There is evidence that shows even a low level of basic income can dramatically reduce poverty rates. Pilots have shown that receiving a basic income can improve mental health and well-being.
There is often very little discussion about the links between mental health and income. But anyone that has ever struggled financially knows this has a profound, negative impact on your mental health.
From November last year to March 2021 the Basic Income Conversation and Basic Income Network Scotland brought people together for the Peace of Mind project.
This project spoke to people with professional and personal experience of mental health and the benefits system. As well as people who have received a basic income as part of a pilot.
They talked about the relationship between money and our mental health, how financial pressures can cause or worsen struggles with mental health and how this might change if we were receiving a basic income.
The key questions were: "How am I supposed to look after my mental health when I don’t have any money?" and, "How can I think about earning money when I am struggling with my mental health?"
A basic income would make sure that we all have access to at least some income, regardless of what else is going on in our lives. Mental health services are crucial but without an income they can become inaccessible. Often we don’t need to be told what to do to look after our mental health. We know, we just can’t because we don’t have the time or the money.
When you don’t work and when you can’t work you end up in a downward spiral. The process of claiming financial support becomes an added stressor.
A basic income would reduce and remove unnecessary and invasive conditions placed on the financial support we’re entitled to. It would reduce the stigma associated with social security. This would give those of us with mental health issues who rely on social security the dignity we deserve.
Our approach to mental health often puts the blame and the responsibility on the individual, rather than trying to fix our systems and find solutions as a society. We believe that a society that prioritises mental health would guarantee everyone access to income. We believe that a basic income should be seriously considered as a preventative mental health measure.
This Mental Health Awareness week we want to see the ministers responsible for mental health in the UK consider the role a basic income could play.
We want mental health charities to start looking at basic income and talking to their teams and service users about it to discuss how it might work for them.
We’re calling on policy makers, mental health charities and politicians to join us in taking basic income from idea to reality.
Basic income could be our generation’s NHS.
With a basic income we can get closer to peace of mind.
