South Lakeland Health Improvement Plan - NHS Cumbria

Incapacity benefit is a weekly payment for people who becomeincapable of work while under the State Pension age as a result of illness ordisability. One way of measuring the mental health of a region is to look at thenumber of people claiming incapacity benefits for mental health reasons.Figure 21.1) Percentage of all incapacity claimants in South Lakeland that have amental health disease code. August 2008, data shown by ward. Data source:Department for Work and Pensions70%60%50%Percentage40%30%Cumbria and England: 34%20%10%0%Lakes GrasmereLyth ValleyCrooklandsKendal ParksNatlandCar tmelWhinfellLow Furness & SwarthmoorLakes AmblesideConi stonKendal MintsfeetSedberghBurne sideBurton & HolmeUlverston WestCrake ValleyHawksheadKendal Heron HillGr angeKendal StonecrossWindermere ApplethwaiteH olkerKendal StricklandUlverston S outhWindermere Bowness NorthArnside & BeethamKendal OxenholmeKirkby Lons daleStaveley-in-CartmelWindermere TownUlverston NorthMilnthorpeKendal NetherStaveley-in-WestmorlandWindermere Bowness SouthBroug htonKendal CastleKendal Far CrossKendal UnderleyUlverston TownUlverston CentralUlverston EastLe vensKendal KirklandKendal GlebelandsKendal FellKendal HighgateWardFigure 21.1 shows that the wards with the most incapacity claims formental health are all located in Kendal: Kendal Kirkland (55%), KendalGlebelands (56%), Kendal Fell (56%) and the worst performing ward; KendalHighgate which has a figure of 67%. The best performing ward is LakesGrassmere which has no people claiming incapacity benefit for mental healthreasons.The data in Figure 21.1 gives a rough picture of mental health in SouthLakeland and enables areas with increased mental health problems to behighlighted. However it must be noted that the total number of people claimingin some wards is small and so individual cases may act to exaggerate theresults in that ward.South Lakeland Baseline Assessment 2009 45