{"id":101969,"date":"2025-11-05T03:36:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T03:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=101969"},"modified":"2025-11-05T03:36:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T03:36:00","slug":"britain-sliding-into-economic-crisis-over-85bn-sickness-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=101969","title":{"rendered":"Britain sliding \u2018into economic crisis\u2019 over \u00a385bn sickness bill"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>4 Minute, 0 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
\n

The number of sick and disabled people out of work is putting the UK at risk of an \u201ceconomic inactivity crisis\u201d that threatens the country\u2019s prosperity, according to a new report.<\/p>\n

There were 800,000 more people out of work now than in 2019 due to health conditions, costing employers \u00a385bn a year, according to the review by former John Lewis boss Sir Charlie Mayfield.<\/p>\n

The problem could worsen without intervention, but Sir Charlie, who will lead a taskforce aimed at helping people return to work, said this was \u201cnot inevitable\u201d.<\/p>\n

The move has been broadly welcomed, but some business groups said Labour\u2019s Employment Rights Bill included some disincentives to hiring people with existing illnesses.<\/p>\n

One in five working-age people were out of work, and not seeking work, according to the report, which was commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions by produced independently.<\/p>\n

Without intervention, another 600,000 people could leave work due to health reasons by the end of the decade.<\/p>\n

Sir Charlie said sickness costs employers \u00a385bn a year through issues including lost productivity and sick pay, but it also costs the broader economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor employers, sickness and staff turnover bring disruption, cost and lost experience,\u201d he said. \u201cFor the country, it means weaker growth, higher welfare spending and greater pressure on the NHS\u201d.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the BBC, he said that \u201con the whole, work and health are mutually reinforcing\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo keeping people in work, keeping them active, actually helps them to stay healthier.\u201d<\/p>\n

The state spends \u00a3212bn per year on illness-related inactivity, or nearly 70% of income tax, through lost output, increased welfare payments and additional burdens on the NHS.<\/p>\n

People could be encouraged to stay in work if health is viewed as \u201ca shared responsibility between employers, employees and health services\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n

\u2018I want to find a job\u2019<\/h2>\n

Loz Sandom has mental and physical health conditions, which have made it difficult to find a job, and the last time they worked was a year ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am willing to do the work, and I want to. I want to find a job,\u201d said the 28-year-old, who has a degree in illustration and has previously worked as a digital marketing executive.<\/p>\n

They said that part of the challenge was that employers did not realise they had \u201ca duty to provide reasonable adjustments.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a shame because they\u2019re missing out on so many fantastic disabled people who can do fabulous jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m not blaming employers entirely. They need support as well,\u201d Loz added. \u201cThere are things that can be put in place to help employers, help save people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Responding to the report, the government announced a major partnership with over 60 companies, many of them large employers, to \u201ctackle the rising tide of ill-health that is pushing people out of work\u201d.<\/p>\n

The companies include Tesco, Google UK, Nando\u2019s and John Lewis.<\/p>\n

Over the next three years, they will \u201cdevelop and refine workplace health approaches\u201d which aim to \u201creduce sickness absence, improve return-to-work rates, and increase disability employment rate\u201d.<\/p>\n

The government is aiming to develop these changes into a voluntary certified standard by 2029.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the BBC, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the report was a \u201cwin-win for employees and employers because its\u2019 aimed at keeping people with sickness issues or developing disability issues in work\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s in the interests of employers because these are good experienced staff and it\u2019s in the interests of employees too because most people want to stay in work if they possibly can.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Resolution Foundation think tank\u2019s chief executive Ruth Curtice said: \u201cThe review has accurately identified a culture of fear, a dearth of support and structural barriers to work as key challenges to overcome in turning the tide for Britain\u2019s economic inactivity problem \u2013 which is currently trending in the wrong direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

The CIPD, which represents HR professionals, welcomed the government\u2019s vision for a preventative approach to illness in the workplace.<\/p>\n

But its chief executive, Peter Cheese, said: \u201cThe report\u2019s success will depend on the extent to which these recommendations are understood by business in driving positive outcomes and backed by policy makers at a national and regional level.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report comes as the government tries to move ahead with its Employment Rights Bill, which\u00a0some businesses say will stifle growth.<\/p>\n

The proposed new law includes a right to guaranteed hours and cracks down on zero-hour contracts without the offer of work.<\/p>\n

As well as that bill, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is aiming to\u00a0guarantee paid work\u00a0to young people who have been out of a job for 18 months.<\/p>\n

Those who do not take up the offer could face being stripped of their benefits.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n \n
\n \n \"Happy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Happy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sad\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sad <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Excited\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Excited <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sleepy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sleepy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Angry\"\n <\/a>\n
Angry<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Surprise\"\n <\/a>\n
Surprise<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\"BritainThe number of sick and disabled people out of work is putting the UK at risk of an “economic inactivity crisis” that threatens the country’s prosperity, according to a new report.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11906,1910,10,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-economic-crisis","category-international","category-politics","category-popular"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=101969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101969\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=101969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=101969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=101969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}