Millions of people with mental illness are stuck in a ‘low income trap’ due to long term benefits cuts and barriers to employment, according to new research from the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute.
The charity estimates that annual median income in 2020 for the 6.4m people in England affected by anxiety and depression is £18,200, compared to £26,600 for those without mental health problems – a gap of £8,400.
The research also explores the long-term factors that have driven the ‘mental income gap’, revealing that people with mental health problems are: