Amendment to Equality Bill

The Government made changes to this Bill which will prevent employers asking an applicant about a disability or medical condition prior to interview. In the past people with mental health problems have struggled with being honest about a history of mental illness on application forms because of concerns about discrimination. A Rethinks survey of over 3,000 mental health service users found that 41% were put off even applying for jobs because of fear of discrimination. Past research has suggested that you are less likely to get work with a history of mental illness than with any other disability. Hopefully this will allow people with mental health problems the chance of demonstrating their capabilities at interview.