Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department recognises problem debt as a public health issue; and what support the NHS and social care services provide to people with problem debt.

Research shows that there is a link between health and financial health with a large amount of people who experience mental health problems also struggling with their finances.

NHS Talking Therapies has recently collaborated with the Money and Pensions Service to promote the Money Guiders programme that helps equip mental health practitioners to have money conversations with their patients. In addition, each NHS Talking Therapies service has embedded employment advisors who provide a non-clinical support service to help patients using Talking Therapies to address work-related issues, offering practical support and solutions for any work barriers which can include unemployment and returning to work.

The Individual Placement and Support is a well‑evidenced, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence‑approved employment programme, funded by NHS England, that offers intensive, individually tailored support to get people into work, with ongoing support for the employer and employee to help ensure the person keeps their job.

Individuals may also be able to access the Breathing Space Scheme, which was set up to encourage more people in problem debt to access professional debt advice. A standard breathing space provides a 60-day period of protection by pausing creditor enforcement action and most interest, fees, and charges. Given the link between problem debt and mental health difficulties, the Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space was also established for individuals who are receiving mental health crisis treatment.

Where debt is the result of gambling addiction, individuals can access their local National Health Service gambling service via self- or professional referral.