Money and Mental Health Policy Institute charity

17/06/2026

“We thought it would come in the King’s Speech and… nothing has happened.”

Great to see our Chair and Founder Martin Lewis discussing the need for statutory regulation of the bailiff industry.

Aggressive behaviour by bailiffs destroys lives, and the lack of an independent regulator allows them to act with impunity.

Councils in England instructed bailiffs for council tax collection in 1.7 million cases in 2024/25.

Our own research found that 73% of people who had a bailiff visit and a council tax debt also had a mental health problem.

You can watch Martin discuss this on Good Morning Britain here:

Money saving expert, Matin Lewis, is calling on the government to s...

11/06/2026

This week we marked ten years of Money and Mental Health! 🎉

We were founded by Martin Lewis back in 2016 and we’ve had some great campaigning successes in the past ten years, including:

- securing the Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space, which means people experiencing a crisis don’t have to deal with bills and debt letters while they are getting care and for 30 days afterwards
- making debt letters more supportive and less threatening
- and, most recently, securing long overdue changes to council tax collection.

But there is so much more to do to break the link between money and mental health problems.

So this week we gathered government ministers, regulators, essential services and health commissioners at our 10th anniversary event in UK Parliament. We looked back on the impact we’ve had over the past decade, but also focused on the changes we want to see to help people struggling with their money and mental health.

Our Chair and Founder Martin Lewis set out a list of our key asks for the speakers and attendees who joined us on how they can play a role in breaking the link.

That included introducing an independent regulator of the bailiff industry, making the insurance market fairer for people with mental health problems and making sure money and mental health support is joined up in Neighbourhood Health Services.

There was huge positivity and enthusiasm in the room about the need to act on the link between money and mental health problems.

We look forward to working with government, regulators, commissioners and businesses to tackle these problems in the years to come.

10/06/2026

For the five million carers across the UK, supporting someone with their finances can often be really difficult.

As one carer in our Research Community told us: “I was constantly challenged by financial departments because they wouldn’t record my authority on my person’s accounts… to have to jump through the hoops of sending digital evidence every time I needed to contact them simply delays getting the problem solved.”

Formal routes to supporting someone you care for with their finances are often too expensive, too complicated, or simply not accessible.

Just 26% of our Research Community members who help with someone’s finances hold any kind of formal authority, such as power of attorney.

Whether it’s benefits, banking, or paying bills, the systems currently in place don’t tend to facilitate the support that many people with mental health problems need.

To mark , we explore what carers in our Research Community think about the options currently available and what needs to change: https://www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/creating-systems-that-work-for-the-5-million-carers-across-the-uk/

28/05/2026

We’ve just published our new Impact Report, which showcases our highlights and achievements from 2025. Watch as members of our team share their highlights from the year 🎬

From making big progress on ending aggressive debt collection, to gaining exciting new super-complainant powers – in 2025 we took important steps towards breaking the link between money and mental health problems.

We also launched exciting new initiatives to translate our research into real life impact, and to put lived experience even more firmly at the centre of our work.

We want to say a huge thanks to all our partners, funders and fellow campaigners who have helped us make a difference over the past year. And a particular thanks to our Research Community members who were at the heart of everything we did in 2025 – we couldn’t have done any of this without you!

Head to our website to read the full Impact Report here: https://www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/publications/impact-report-2025/

18/05/2026

There was lots of big news coming from the government last week – lots of it dramatic and significant 🗞️

But here our Chief Executive Helen Undy shares three stories about our policies affecting our money and mental health that you might have missed…

If you’re interested in supporting our work, we’d love you to join our Research Community: https://www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/community/

12/05/2026

A huge congratulations to our Founder and Chair, Martin Lewis, who received the Special Award at this year’s TV BAFTAs.

The award recognises Martin’s years of work helping people navigate money problems, challenge unfair treatment and push for systems that work better for those who need them most.

We’re so grateful for his continued support, and everything he does to help break the link between financial difficulty and mental health problems.

11/05/2026

This , we’re calling for money advice to be joined up with mental health support.

Our new analysis shows that people with mental health problems are more likely to be behind on household bills, worried about affording food, and struggling to cover everyday costs.

That matters because money and mental health problems can quickly form a vicious cycle. Financial difficulties can make it harder to recover, while poor mental health can make it harder to manage bills, ask for help, or navigate systems that are supposed to help. That’s why we need to bring money and mental health support together.

The government has promised to link up money and mental health support through new neighbourhood health services. Now we need to see that promise delivered across the country.

You can read more about our new analysis and calls for government action here: https://www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/press-release/mental-health-awareness-week/

08/05/2026

Wishing our Founder and Chair Martin Lewis a very Happy Birthday for tomorrow!

A huge thank you Martin for your ongoing support and commitment to helping people affected by financial difficulty and mental health problems.

28/04/2026

Our Research Community is at the heart of everything we do.

We recently brought together members of our Research Community, community organisations and support service representatives for an in-person workshop exploring how local money and mental health support could work better.

It was a great opportunity to hear more about people’s experiences – and their reflections on how to improve services in their communities.

We’re grateful to everyone who attended. You can read a recap of the event here: https://www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/our-first-event-shaped-by-and-for-the-research-community/

24/04/2026

“How someone who can’t pay for the whole month can pay for the whole year is beyond me. But what do I know about money?”

Martin Lewis - our Chair and Founder - explains what’s been going so wrong with council tax collection and why we’ve been campaigning for change.

We’re delighted that the government has listened and is changing the rules.

Watch Martin explain what’s changing 🎥