Street-level casework and mentally ill jobseekers under Social Code II in Germany: Counselling and the role of medical services

Abstract

The German welfare-to-work system sets a low threshold of three hours a day for capacity to work. People with mental health problems are a relevant subgroup among those receiving benefits. Caseworkers in job centres are responsible for the placement, counselling and support of the benefit recipients. For this article, we examined the role of work for mentally ill people in treatment settings, how caseworkers in the jobcentres recognise mental problems, what the impact is of a psychiatric diagnosis on the process of counselling and what happens to benefit recipients close to incapacity for work.