VIEW, Issue four, 2012


Website: viewdigital.org


Page 4 ‘It’s like something


Journalist Lucy Gollogly reports on the strong reaction from several charities after the Work and Pensions Secretary in the Coalition Government, Iain Duncan Smith, signalled that unemployed addicts could see their benefits cut if they refuse treatment


from the Victoria era” by a leading Northern Ire- land addiction charity. Dr Claire Armstrong, the director of Addic-


C


oalition Government proposals to cut the benefits of suspected alcoholics or drug addicts if they refuse treatment have been described as “like something


tion NI, was responding to plans which may allow Job Centre Plus staff to cut the jobseekers’ al- lowance of claimants who reject treatment. If implemented, the rules would come into


force in October 2013, when the new universal credit system is introduced. The Department for Social Development in


Northern Ireland recently carried out its own consultation on the Coalition’s Welfare Reform Bill.


devolved responsibility for social security but in practice this is delivered on the long standing principle of parity, i.e. an individual in Northern Ireland will receive the same benefits and be sub- ject to the same conditions as an individual else- where in the UK.” A Welfare Reform Bill for Northern Ireland is expected to be introduced in the Assembly in the coming months. Dr Claire Armstrong said she would be


deeply concerned if the Coalition Government’s proposals were to be introduced here. “We believe that people need support to


seek treatment – this would essentially be like a punishment. And we also believe that addiction – alcohol and drugs problems – should be seen as a health issue and I don’t think this is helpful where there are genuine health issues for people,” she said.


approach like the one being considered could be counter-productive. “You want to encourage people to seek


The Addiction NI director said a punitive help in a very positive way, so they’re making that It said: “The Northern Ireland Assembly has


Concerned: Dr Claire Armstrong, director of Addiction NI


decision at an early stage to prevent either physi- cal or psychological damage further down the line.


of different options for people, right through from advice, brief interventions, all the way through to intensive treatment or even residen- tial treatment if that’s what someone requires. “So there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach


for this – it’s a very individual thing. “The thing that we find working on the


“That means that you need to have a menu


aged to seek help themselves in a positive way and this kind of proposal is really the opposite of that.


rather than saying, ‘if you don’t go to treatment we’re going to take your money off you’.” Dr Armstrong also said she is worried


“It’s all about working with the person


about how benefits sanctions would affect the claimant’s dependents. “It’s not just an individual who is affected by an alcohol or drug problem, it’s the family, and it’s children.


their benefits are being reduced, what impact is that having on the wider family, what impact does that have on children in the family? “For quite a simplistic looking punitive


“And for someone to be a position where


measure, how many other people are being af- fected by that? How many children are losing money from within their home because of that, when they’re already in a difficult position? I don’t think that would be positive at all.” She added: “I think the answer to this is fo-


cusing on the treatment side of it and the health aspects of it rather than this (proposal). I find it unbelievable really – it’s like something from the Victoria era almost.” Dr Armstrong’s concerns mirror the posi-


front line in the addiction world in the voluntary sector is the timing of somebody’s decision to seek help is really, really important. What we would really like to see is people being encour-


DrugScope, has called on the Coalition Govern- ment to clarify its position on the introduction of sanctions for refusing treatment.


‘We believe that people need support to seek treatment – this would essentially be like a punishment’


Meanwhile another major charity,


tion of many addiction charities in Britain. One of the largest, Addaction, said the policy could jeop- ardise addicts’ recovery.


Addiction NI has been working since 1978 to provide support and treatment to people affected by alcohol or drug addiction. They have centres in south, east and west Belfast and treat people from all over Northern Ireland.


As a registered charity, they do not charge for treatment sessions.


Website: http://addictionni.com/ Counselling: Addiction NI have centres right across Northern Ireland


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