US Edition
Two-thirds of people granted sickness benefits since lockdown never have to find a job, official data shows.
Figures published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reveal that between April 2019 and November 2023, 1.5 million people applying for sickness benefits linked to Universal Credit were granted the most generous level of welfare payments.
The figures showed that mental health was the biggest driver of long-term sickness claims, cited in 69pc of cases.
The data showed that of the 2.4 million health claims processed by DWP over this four-year period, 16pc were rejected.
Another 19pc of claimants were deemed to have “limited capability for work” and 65pc were classed as having “limited capability for work and work-related activity” (LCWRA). People in this last group do not have to look for a job in order to receive payments.
The data also showed more than half of people in every single council area who were assessed over this period were judged to have no work requirements.
The highest shares were in Ceredigion in Wales, where 74pc were claiming benefits with no work requirements; and Chorley in Lancashire, with 73pc. Slough had the lowest proportion, at 55pc.
Within England, the region with the highest proportion of decisions where claimants are not required to look for work was the North West and the lowest the North East.
A total of 3.9 million people are now receiving out-of-work benefits without having to even look for a job.
More recent data showed mental and behavioural disorders are now the most likely medical conditions to be reported by claimants, with 69pc saying they suffer from these disorders, followed by 48pc of claimants who said they suffered from musculoskeletal issues.
Christopher Rocks, lead economist for the Health Foundation’s commission for healthier working lives, noted that on average, 2.7 types of medical condition were recorded for each person on UC health, which he said reflected “complex health needs for many in this group”.
He added: “Ill health is driving the rising number of people on out-of-work benefits, and damaging the economy, so it’s crucial to understand the health challenges faced by people claiming Universal Credit.”
Previous analysis by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has shown that more incapacity claims have been approved over time, with an almost 100pc approval rate during lockdown as face-to-face assessments were scrapped.
It noted that between March 2017 to November 2022, there were 2.2 million approved incapacity claims. If the rate had remained at 2016-17 levels, there would have been 670,000 fewer approvals.
Nikita Malik, head of work and opportunity at the Centre for Social Justice, said: “All the numbers are moving in the wrong direction. This represents both a huge economic challenge and a shameful waste of potential which will not be fixed by tweaks to the welfare system alone.
“To move the dial, Government must rethink the fundamentals of its approach to work and health, including mental health. Until it does, the country will continue to get sicker, poorer and less happy.”
A DWP spokesman said: “We are taking the long-term decisions to help everyone who can work to do so, improving lives and growing the economy.
“Our landmark welfare reforms will cut the number of people due to be put onto the highest tier of incapacity benefits by over 370,000 and instead give them personalised support, while our Chance to Work Guarantee will enable people to try work without fear of losing their benefits.
“In total our £2.5bn Back to Work Plan will help over a million people to break down barriers to work, including those with disabilities and long-term health conditions.”