Dan Weir, Research and Policy Manager, Money and Mental Health; Kate Wells Research Officer, Money and Mental Health

We can work it out

Getting employment support right for people with mental health problems

22 September 2026

This report explores the systemic barriers that people with mental health problems face in accessing jobs and staying in work – and what steps the government and employers should take to tackle them. It has been produced as part of the Head On campaign, a coalition of over 20 leading UK mental health charities that bring together frontline expertise, lived experience and practical solutions.

The research shows that 2 out of 5 UK adults who are unemployed or economically inactive have a common mental health condition such as depression or anxiety, amounting to 4.2m people in total.

Many people in this situation want to work and can do so with the right support. But common symptoms of poor mental health — from memory and concentration problems to difficulties communicating — can make it harder to find or stay in work.

The employment support system is failing to understand or act upon these challenges – meaning that too often, people with mental health problems miss out on the tailored support they need to help them move into work.

While many employers strive to support employees with their wellbeing, negative attitudes and lack of reasonable adjustments are making it much harder for people with mental health problems to stay in work or move into a job.

The government has an important opportunity to help more people with mental health problems move into work or stay in a job, by transforming workplace practices and employment support.

Our key recommendations for the government:

Set clear expectations for employers on how they should meet the needs of workers with mental health problems. The government is currently developing a ‘Healthy Working Lifecycle’ standard for employers, based on recommendations from Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working Review. This standard needs to have a clear focus on addressing the challenges people with mental health problems too often face in the workplace.
Empower regional and local leaders with more powers to transform employment support and practices in their areas. In particular, the government should ensure that mayors and other local leaders have the powers they need to incentivise local employers to follow the Healthy Working Standard, through procurement practices and celebrating examples of regional best practice.

Ensure people with mental health problems can get the tailored support they need to move into work. That means scaling up the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) programme and other schemes which have proven effective at offering tailored support to help people with severe mental illness move into suitable work. It also means placing a specialist mental health Work Coach in every Jobcentre, to ensure that job seekers with mental health problems can get tailored support.
End punitive sanctions and reporting regimes that prioritise finding any work or position over finding the role that is right for the individual.

You can read the full report here.

This report is supported by the Head On campaign, a coalition of over 20 leading UK mental health charities that bring together frontline expertise, lived experience and practical solutions.