IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Charity says ‘mental health awareness is not enough’ – as new analysis shows 3.6m people with mental health problems are worried about putting food on the table
11 May 2026
Today (11th May) marks the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week, and in line with this year’s theme of action, the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute is calling for the government to deliver vital joined-up mental health and debt support for the millions of people struggling with their finances and mental wellbeing during the cost of living crisis.
New research by the charity – founded and chaired by Martin Lewis (MoneySavingExpert) – highlights the alarming scale of financial hardship that millions of people with mental health problems are experiencing as the cost of living crisis deepens. The charity’s analysis of nationally representative data (1) shows that:
- 3.6 million people with mental health problems have worried about being able to afford enough food to eat in the last 12 months, and are three times more likely to have done so than someone without such conditions (26% vs 9%).
- People with mental health problems are three times as likely to currently be behind on some or all household bills (15% vs 5%) compared to those without such conditions.
- People with mental health problems are two and a half times more likely to have been finding it ‘quite’ or ‘very’ difficult to financially get by, compared to those without mental health problems (17% vs 7%).
Previous Money and Mental Health research has shown that providing money advice alongside mental health support could double recovery rates for people struggling with debt and depression, and help an extra 27,000 people recover from mental health problems each year. It could also save the public purse £144 million each year, by reducing demand on health services and helping more people with mental health problems move into employment (2).
Last year the government announced ambitious plans for a ‘Neighbourhood Health Service’ (3) in which debt advice and employment support will be delivered alongside mental health support and other clinical health services. But disappointingly, subsequent government and NHS guidance on how these services should be delivered – including the Neighbourhood health framework published in March 2026 – makes next-to-no-mention of providing debt advice as part of efforts to tackle the socio-economic factors that drive poor mental health.
Money and Mental Health is calling on the government to ensure that money advice is at the heart of all neighbourhood health services so that people experiencing mental health problems can get the joined up support they need.
Helen Undy OBE, Chief Executive of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said: “Mental Health Awareness week is welcome, but awareness is not enough. It’s alarming that so many people with mental health problems are experiencing such serious financial hardship, especially with the cost of living crisis likely to deepen in the coming months. We’ve long known that financial and mental health difficulties go hand in hand – it’s absolutely vital that support for these problems is linked up too.
“The government has signalled its ambition to do that through the new Neighbourhood Health Services. Now it needs to deliver on that ambition by ensuring that debt advice is provided in every one of these services as a key priority.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to ensure that people across the country can get the help they need to recover and get back on their feet financially, instead of getting trapped in worsening debt and despair.”
Andy Bell, Chief Executive of Centre for Mental Health – which has published separate analysis today calling on government to embed welfare advice in mental health services (4) — said: “This new analysis by Money and Mental Health highlights how financial difficulties are a major driver of poor mental health, with the cost-of-living crisis putting pressure on more and more households. These stresses also make recovery more difficult. Holistic welfare advice should be a part of any mental health service anywhere. High quality advice, provided by properly trained and managed workers, makes mental health services better and more efficient. Welfare advice should be available in every neighbourhood mental health service, and every inpatient unit, provided by expert organisations so that it is reliable and independent.”
ENDS
Contact:
For media enquiries, please contact Alex Goodfellow, External Affairs Officer at Money and Mental Health, on 07754 446272 or [email protected]
Notes to Editors
- Money and Mental Health analysis of Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Wave 15.
- Bond N. Breaking the Cycle: The case for integrating money and mental health support during the cost of living crisis. Money and Mental Health Policy Institute. 2023.
- Gov.UK. Government takes action to deliver neighbourhood health services. July 2025.
- Independent charity Centre for Mental Health has today published a separate report calling for the NHS to embed welfare advice in mental health services. The report, Stability beyond care, commissioned by Citizens Advice, finds that providing advice to people receiving mental health care in both hospital and community settings is critical to effective care and recovery. Available from 00.01 Monday 11 May here or in advance on request.
About the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute
The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute is an independent charity set up by Martin Lewis, and committed to breaking the link between financial difficulty and mental health problems. We conduct research, develop practical policy solutions and work in partnership with both those providing services and those using them to find what really works. www.moneyandmentalhealth.org.