Providing welfare advice to people receiving mental health care is critical to supporting recovery and preventing crisis, according to a new report from the Centre for Mental Health.
The report, Stability beyond care, commissioned by Citizens Advice, highlights the significant impact that specialist advice services can have on mental wellbeing when delivered alongside clinical care in both hospital and community settings.
The report identifies financial insecurity as a major driver of poor mental health. Pressures such as poverty and unstable income, personal debt, and insecure or inadequate housing can significantly worsen mental health conditions and increase the likelihood of crisis situations, including hospital admissions.
By addressing these underlying issues, welfare advice services can play a crucial role in supporting both mental health and wider wellbeing.
The findings draw on evidence from three mental health and welfare partnerships across England, where voluntary sector organisations provide specialist advice alongside mental health services.
These partnerships demonstrate how integrating welfare advice into care pathways can:
- Improve mental wellbeing and reduce stress
- Prevent homelessness and financial crisis
- Support faster discharge from inpatient mental health services
The report highlights the central role of the voluntary sector in delivering these services, particularly in reaching people facing complex social challenges.
People who receive advice on issues such as income, housing and debt report feeling:
- More in control of their lives
- Better able to manage future challenges
- Reassured by access to a reliable support system
This improved sense of stability is seen as an important factor in recovery, helping individuals engage more effectively with mental health treatment and avoid relapse.
Embedding welfare advice within healthcare settings also offers wider system benefits.
In inpatient environments, advice services can help resolve practical issues that may delay discharge, such as housing or financial instability, enabling patients to leave hospital sooner and more safely.
In addition, providing dedicated welfare support reduces the burden on clinicians and NHS staff, allowing them to focus on delivering clinical care rather than addressing complex financial or social issues.
The report emphasises the importance of early intervention and prevention, arguing that addressing financial and social stressors can stop problems from escalating into more serious mental health crises.
By integrating welfare advice into routine care, services can provide support earlier and reduce demand for more intensive interventions later.
To expand this approach, the Centre for Mental Health is calling for dedicated national funding to embed welfare advice services across all NHS mental health provision.
The report recommends that advice support should be available:
- In community mental health services
- Within hospital (inpatient) settings
- As a standard part of mental health care pathways
This would ensure consistent access to high‑quality advice services across the country.
The report argues that integrating welfare advice into mental health care is essential for tackling health inequalities, as financial hardship and social disadvantage are closely linked to poorer mental health outcomes.
Andy Bell, Centre for Mental Health Chief Executive, said:
“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. The forthcoming Modern Service Framework for serious mental illness in England is an opportunity to embed welfare advice as a core offer, not an added extra. It should be available in every neighbourhood mental health service, and every inpatient unit, provided by expert organisations like Citizens Advice so that it is reliable and independent.”
By ensuring people can access the support they are entitled to, including financial assistance, housing support and legal protections, services can promote more equitable outcomes and stronger long‑term recovery.
The findings highlight the value of a whole‑person approach to mental health care, where clinical treatment is combined with practical support that addresses the wider determinants of health.
The NHS Alliance has responded to the report, with Director of the Mental Health Network Rebecca Gray saying:
“The findings of this report highlight how intrinsically linked mental illness is with social challenges such as debt and housing problems.
“Supporting someone to get well goes far beyond clinical care. Integrating welfare advice into clinical settings – and bringing clinical expertise into non‑NHS community spaces – helps address the needs of people. Yet, despite some of the innovations in integrated support being cost effective in the long-term, it can be tough to introduce and maintain as financial constraints tighten.
“It is vital that we have joined up services and funding. The move to strategic commissioning and neighbourhood health has real potential to drive the work demonstrated in the report. We hope that these findings can lead to more integrated welfare advice in NHS services where needed and that this is designed around what best meets the needs of local communities. Additionally, we hope that commissioners, working with local government, recognise the benefits this could bring.”
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