THE new Westminster government has chosen to make welfare reform one of its first big policy changes.

Its plan? The work programme, which will be according to the press statement, "a single integrated package of support providing personalised help for everyone who finds themselves out of work regardless of the benefit they claim".

What will this mean for the tens of thousands of people in Wales currently out of work because of their mental ill health?

Without more details, it's really hard to say. We're pleased the Government is talking about more personalised and flexible support for people, and recognising the key role the voluntary sector can play in supporting people back to work.

We're concerned it's talking about reassessing people's capability to work (given that many have only just been reassessed following the introduction of Employment Support Allowance) and at the references to compulsion and sanctions.

Work is, generally speaking, good for us. It gives purpose and structure to our days, gives us opportunities to socialise, can provide financial stability - it can be crucial to our mental well-being.

Conversely, being out of work can have a serious negative effect.

The current system fails many people experiencing mental ill health.

There is an increasing body of evidence emerging which suggests the current work capability assessments are simply not subtle enough to reflect the impact fluctuating, non-physical conditions can have on your ability to work, resulting in people being inappropriately assessed as being job ready and forced to take work that could damage their mental health.

At the other end of the spectrum, people can be left stranded on benefits for many years, unable to access appropriate support and disadvantaged by a system that penalises you for taking the first steps back to work.

Reform, therefore, is to be welcomed. But the Government must recognise this is a hugely complex area and should take the time to get it right.

We have seen so many changes to welfare benefits and related back-to-work programmes over the past few years. Both benefit claimants and providers of welfare programmes deserve a sense of stability which can allow them to commit their energies without suspecting further change is around the corner.

I would urge Iain Duncan Smith and his ministerial team not to rush their new programme in, but concentrate instead on developing an evidence-based system that can remain in place for years to come.

They will also have to grapple with the thorny problem of employers' attitudes.

Fewer than four in 10 employers say they'd consider employing someone with a mental health problem, a major barrier for individuals but also for a government wanting to get more people back to work.

Work we've done with employers suggests that if they and the employee know they are able to access support if it is needed, both parties have more confidence that an offer of employment (or a return to work) is a viable option.

There is also a growing interest in concentrating more health resources on supporting people in work, and if this could be combined with a more intelligent and individualised welfare system, then I believe we all would feel the benefit.

Ewan Hilton is the executive director of Gofal Cymru. To contact him e-mail reply@gofalcymru.org.uk