BBC is reporting that ATOS has confirmed it is seeking to end its government contract to assess whether benefits claimants are fit to work.  In a statement, ATOS pledged to carry on undertakings the tests until a new company was in a position to take over.  It is also reported that the Government agrees with ATOS's decision as it believes that standards at the company have declined unacceptably.

Read more here.

These documents from the Department of Health give a flavour of some of the important issues and relationships between wellbeing and health throughout someone’s life. For health professionals, understanding the different parts of personal wellbeing may offer insights into how their own work fits into a wider context and how what they do can influence wellbeing.

Important findings are that wellbeing:

i2i have published a new report entitled 'How to improve on the Work Programme'.

Being the largest ‘pure’ Work Programme subcontractor that they are aware of, and having been involved with the programme's commissioning and delivery since its inception in 2010, they believe they have a wealth of experience and consider themselves well placed to offer an informed and reliable provider-voice.

Leonard Cheshire Disability is the first non welfare to work organisation in the UK to achieve the prestigious Merlin Standard.

The Work and Pensions Committee have concluded that Jobcentre Plus (JCP) should continue to provide a public employment service for the unemployed. The Committee recommended, that JCP’s key performance indicators be immediately revised to ensure that JCP is incentivised to get jobseekers into work, not just to get them off benefits. In the longer term, as Universal Credit is implemented, DWP must formulate performance measures which promote sustained job outcomes.

Commenting on the Report, Dame Anne Begg MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, said:

The CIPD has recently released research exploring the awareness and attitudes of job seekers on the move to Universal Credit (UC), as well as their opportunities to transition from benefits to employment. Universal Credit, which merges several benefits into one, is being rolled out in phases between April 2013 and December 2017. 

The report, 'Making work pay: Implementing Universal Credit,' suggests four key steps to policy makers on how they might better assist a smooth transition to Universal Credit for job seekers.

Recently the Government has set out that more needs to be done to help the one in four people who will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in their life. 

Whilst an American study this is still of interest to UK readers though it should be noted that there are substantial differences between the UK and US healthcare systems.

Workplace wellness programs can lower health care costs in workers with chronic diseases, but components of the programs that encourage workers to adopt healthier lifestyles may not reduce health costs or lead to lower net savings, according to a new RAND Corporation study.