moneyandmentalhealth.org
Money and Mental Health
@moneyandmentalhealth.org
480 followers 140 following 220 posts
Independent research & campaigning charity 📣 Our mission? To break the link between financial difficulty & mental health problems 💜 Founded by @martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com in 2016. Led by @helenundy.bsky.social. 🔗 www.moneyandmentalhealth.org
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moneyandmentalhealth.org
Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · Feb 26
We set our Chief Executive @helenundy.bsky.social a little challenge - to introduce us, our work and our impact to our new followers in under 60 seconds. ⌚

We think Helen did great! Find out more about us, our work and what we’ve achieved so far on our website.

🔗 www.moneyandmentalhealth.org
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Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 11h
They discussed the upcoming Financial Inclusion Strategy, access to travel insurance for people with mental health problems and our upcoming work on third party support with financial management.
moneyandmentalhealth.org
Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 11h
Our Chief Executive @helenundy.bsky.social and our Founder and Chair @martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com were pleased to meet the Economic Secretary to the Treasury @lucyrigby.bsky.social today.
Helen Undy, Chief Executive of Money and Mental Health; Lucy Rigby KC MP, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury; and Martin Lewis, Money and Mental Health’s Founder and Chair.
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moneyandmentalhealth.org
Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 14h
We want to break the vicious cycle of money and mental health problems 🔄

Phone-only negotiations exclude some of the people most affected, driving up costs and stress. We’re calling on essential service providers to offer a genuine choice of contact channels.
moneyandmentalhealth.org
Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 14h
That’s why the latest @citizensadvice.bsky.social report matters.

🔒 It shows that, in phone and broadband, the best renewal prices are effectively locked behind a phone negotiation - disproportionately affecting those of us with mental health problems. 👇

🔗 www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...
The real cost of hidden deals
Negotiating with telecoms providers at the end of a contract is a common practice, but the process is full of problems that make it harder for consumers to access good deals.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk
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moneyandmentalhealth.org
Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 14h
📱 Phone calls are a real barrier: around 1 in 3 people struggle with calls, rising to over 1 in 2 among people with mental health problems. If support or a better price only exists on a phone line, many people can’t get there.
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Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 14h
Admin anxiety shouldn’t stand between people and a fair deal.

1 in 4 UK adults feel significant anxiety when dealing with essential providers (banks, energy, broadband).
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Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 1d
Our team members @helenundy.bsky.social, @conordarcy.bsky.social and @rayhanhaque.bsky.social visited 10 Downing Street yesterday for a meeting with the Prime Minister’s advisors - discussing issues including employment support, debt collection and integrating money and mental health services.
Conor D’Arcy, Helen Undy and Rayhan Haque standing together outside the front door of 10 Downing Street.
moneyandmentalhealth.org
Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 1d
Current account providers can often spot the early warning signs that customers may be struggling with gambling and require timely support.

Our latest blog looks at how firms should communicate about gambling to help prevent harm 👇

🔗 www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/banks-matter...
Banks' vital role in communicating with customers about gambling - Money and Mental Health Policy Institute
Leia Clifton, senior research officer, explains how banks can can spot gambling-related financial harm and communicate with customers at risk.
www.moneyandmentalhealth.org
moneyandmentalhealth.org
Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 5d
It’s one week until #WorldMentalHealthDay

Mental health and money problems are often deeply interconnected, with millions of people across the UK experiencing that ‘vicious cycle’ – but what do you think gets overlooked in this conversation?
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Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 6d
We’ve joined Instagram! 📸

If you want to keep up with our work and learn about the insights and experiences of members of our Research Community, we’d love you to follow us over there.

🔗 www.instagram.com/moneyandment...
A screenshot of Money and Mental Health’s Instagram profile, including the first few posts.
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Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 7d
Which? recently launched a Super-complaint to the Financial Conduct Authority about insurance, which we welcome!

People with mental health problems often face higher premiums. 📈

We hope the FCA will take steps to ensure insurance pricing is fair. 👇

🔗 www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/what-does-wh...
“Depending on the FCA’s response, this could be a golden opportunity to also tackle the issues we have identified, especially how insurers use mental health problems in pricing decisions.” - Chris Lees, Senior Research Officer, Money and Mental Health.
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Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 8d
“It’s been all about growth, which brings some opportunities… But I worry about what it means, particularly for people with more severe mental illness, who are currently being cut out of that conversation.”

@helenundy.bsky.social reflects on what she’s heard at Labour Party conference so far 📽
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Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 9d
Money and mental health problems can trap people in a vicious cycle.

Financial pressure harms wellbeing, and poor mental health makes earning and managing money harder.

It’s common – but not inevitable. 💜

We’re working for fairer systems and practical support to break this vicious cycle.
Graphic representing the cycle of money and mental health problems. Four rectangles connected to each other in a loop, saying: “Mental health problems → Mental health problems make it harder to earn, manage money and spending, and to ask for help → Financial difficulty → Financial difficulty causes stress and anxiety, made worse by collections activity or going without essentials.”
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Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 12d
Campaign win!📢

The Welsh government is making Council Tax debt collection fairer.

People will now have two months, not 3 weeks, to catch up on a missed payment before facing their annual bill — giving them vital breathing space to get back on track.

🔗 www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/press-releas...
"We've spent the last year campaigning hard for this hideous system to change, and so I'm over-the-moon the Welsh government has listened, and Wales is going to take the lead on improving things" - Martin Lewis CBE, Founder and Chair Money and Mental Health
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Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 13d
Great news! HSBC UK has achieved the ‘Advanced’ of our Mental Health Accessible accreditation.

This status recognises the steps the bank has taken to improve support for customers with mental health problems and its commitment to making their services more accessible.
HSBC UK has received ‘Advanced’ Mental Health Accessible accreditation.
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Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 14d
Funding is only guaranteed until April next year - we want to see secure, long term funding so more people can benefit and the results can be properly analysed.

Read more about our visit to a pilot centre 👇

🔗 www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/field-trip-h...
What we learned at a new a Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre - Money and Mental Health Policy Institute
How Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres can help break the link between financial difficulty and mental health problems.
www.moneyandmentalhealth.org
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moneyandmentalhealth.org
Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 14d
Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres could transform care - with open-door support, clinical teams and financial help all under one roof.

The early results are promising, with fewer people ending up on inpatient wards and shorter stays when they do.
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moneyandmentalhealth.org
Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 16d
On curbing aggressive debt collection, making banking services more accessible and ensuring insurance pricing is fair, we want the government's Financial Inclusion Strategy to deliver for people with mental health problems.

Read more here 👇

🔗 www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/making-finan...
What we want to see from the Financial Inclusion Strategy: - An end to harmful debt collection: shared standards setting out the acceptable speed of escalation, accessible communications channels, and frequency of communication. - Inclusive design principles applied across financial services. Tools like spending controls and carers cards to ensure that digital banking delivers good outcomes for customers with mental health problems. - Fair insurance pricing: a review by the FCA to ensure people with mental health problems aren’t subject to unfair exclusions or price hikes.
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Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 19d
Here are some of our recommendations for firms, regulators, health services, employers and the government to help break the vicious cycle of money and mental health problems for young people 👇

🔗 www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/publications...
Recommendations: - Financial Conduct Authority: bring BNPL and short term credit into regulation. - NHS/mental health services: ask about money at first contact, add finances to care plans. - Government: make Statutory Sick Pay flexible and improve income support, including removing the under-25 reduced rate for working age benefits. - Employers: flexible working and phased returns, Wellness Action Plans, flexible sick pay.
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moneyandmentalhealth.org
Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 19d
Underneath all of this is work and income.

Mental health problems can disrupt learning and career progression - and this can be particularly exacerbated by a lack of accessible support and treatment.

Saving can then stall and the income gap can grow over time.
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moneyandmentalhealth.org
Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 19d
The shape of that credit also matters.

Young adults with mental health problems are three times more likely than 55-65 year olds to use Buy Now Pay Later, which remains underregulated.

Among users, younger people are more often behind on payments, risking fees and interest.
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Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 19d
And when the budgets are tight, many turn to credit just to get by.

34% of 18 to 34 year olds with mental health problems have borrowed or used credit for everyday costs, with younger people more likely to be in debt than older peers with the same conditions.
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Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 19d
Money anxiety is common for young people with mental health problems:

63% of 18-34 year olds with mental health problems say thinking about their finances makes them anxious - the highest of any age group in our research.
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Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 19d
Today is #YouthMentalHealthDay.

The vicious cycle of money and mental health problems can affect young people in specific and distinct ways.

Many young people face barriers to opportunities for financial wellbeing and to access mental health support.

A short thread 🧵
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moneyandmentalhealth.org
Money and Mental Health @moneyandmentalhealth.org · 21d
In our latest blog, @drtgergel.bsky.social - Director of Research at Bipolar UK - explains how Advance Choice Documents work and the difference having one can make when we become unwell - both to our mental health and our finances. 👇

🔗 www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/advance-choi...
Advance Choice Documents - what are they? Should I have one? - Money and Mental Health Policy Institute
Advance Choice Documents let people record treatment preferences & financial wishes in advance, guiding their care during crisis or illness.
www.moneyandmentalhealth.org
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