While disability benefits are often the primary source of income for people with mental disorders, other public assistance schemes, such as unemployment benefits or social assistance, also play a role, especially for those with mild-to-moderate illnesses. These multiple sources of income have important implications, as the lack of a co-ordinated approach and well-defined responsibilities may create incentives to move these individuals from one public assistance scheme to another for cost-shifting purposes. Administrative data on the mental health status of job seekers or unemployment and social assistance recipients is scarce and rarely collected across OECD countries, which hinders employment and social service providers’ abilities to take preventative measures and intervene early.