Out of work, into therapy (Image: Diverse Images/UIG/Getty)
A banner draped from a London job centre window declares: 鈥淏ack to work therapy is no therapy at all.鈥� It鈥檚 a protest against government plans to integrate employment and mental health support for benefit claimants. This includes putting 350 psychological therapists into centres and pushing online therapy to the jobless.
Unemployment is being redefined as a psychological disorder at a time when the UK government has pledged to cut the welfare bill by 拢12 billion. In the UK and other rich nations such as Australia and the US, welfare claimants are increasingly required to comply with interventions intended to modify their emotions, beliefs and personality.
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While the option of free access to therapy for the unemployed makes sense, what is taking place is psychological conditionality. Claimants must demonstrate characteristics considered desirable in a job candidate 鈥� such as confidence and enthusiasm 鈥� in return for welfare.
The Department for Work and Pensions has denied that anyone will lose benefits if they refuse therapy. But the Conservatives鈥� manifesto warned that 鈥減eople who might benefit from treatment should get the medical help they need so they can return to work. If they refuse a recommended treatment, we will review whether their benefits should be reduced.鈥�
And claimants are already coerced into 鈥渃onfidence building鈥� programmes, made to take part in humiliating psychological group activities (like building paperclip towers to demonstrate team work), and obliged to take meaningless and unethical to determine their 鈥渟trengths鈥�. Unsolicited 鈥渕otivational messages鈥� are emailed to some job seekers daily.
Sanctions 鈥� loss of benefits for up to three years 鈥� or referral to unpaid work placements may be imposed if a claimant鈥檚 attitude is considered deficient. are already disproportionately represented among those sanctioned.
Bogus constructs
What鈥檚 striking is that the focus of these activities isn鈥檛 a job, or specific job-related skills or qualifications. Key outcomes specified in lucrative government contracts to companies providing interventions are 鈥渆mployability鈥� and 鈥渏ob readiness鈥� 鈥� achieving a 鈥渕indset that will appeal to employers鈥�, as one course puts it.
A narrow set of character traits are touted as essential to getting and keeping a job: confidence, optimism, aspiration, motivation and infinite flexibility. Bogus constructs like and are used to legitimise coercive regimes that stigmatise and punish.
The policies that rebrand unemployment as a psychological disorder distract from the insecurity and stark inequality seen in many labour markets. They promote the therapeutic value of work at a time when work is increasingly unable to provide either an income high enough to live on or emotional satisfaction.
Workfare schemes have already created a claimant workforce that lacks the legal rights and protections extended to other workers. Plans to add mandatory psychological treatment is a matter of grave concern.
Lynne Friedli is a freelance researcher with Hubbub, funded by the Wellcome Trust. Robert Stearn is a PhD student at Birkbeck, University of London They are authors of a on the use of psychological interventions in workfare.
