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<p>The Department routinely engages with expert stakeholders to inform policy development.
For example, to support development of the proposals in the ‘Transforming Support:
The Health and Disability White Paper’, officials met and continue to meet with interested
stakeholders and welfare recipients with health conditions and disabilities.</p><p>
</p><p>Officials meet regularly with clinical stakeholders from a range of specialties,
including those with a mental health background from national representative organisations.
When undertaking work on mental health specific polices the engagement increases in
intensity to ensure the professional voice is heard and advice is taken in the best
interests of our claimants.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has an ongoing health and
disability benefits research programme including studies with claimants which often
look specifically at the treatment of claimants with mental health issues. For example,
we will shortly be publishing the Barriers to Accessing Health Support research, which
found valuable insight into the health support needs of disability benefit claimants
with mental health conditions. Other research has also been designed to include fluctuating
mental health conditions, such as anxiety disorders or depression, and cognitive conditions,
such as Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.</p><p><strong> </strong></p>
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