Money, debt & benefits

Most of us need the security of a roof over our heads and some money in our pockets, whether or not we have mental health problems.

For people who are vulnerable to anxiety or psychosis, it’s especially important for them to have a home and regular income.

 But many people with mental health problems find it difficult, or even impossible to cope with complicated money, debt and benefits issues which sometimes demand interviews or physical examinations as well as a great deal of form filling.

In this section, we provide an overview of the main benefits which are available to people with mental health problems and their carers. More detailed information is available on the the Government's DirectGov website. 

We also look at the relationship between debt and mental illness and provide some basic information about how to deal with debt if you are someone who has got into financial difficulties.

In addition, we mention the ways in which a relative or carer can look after someone elses finances because symptoms of mental illness make this temporarily impossible.