The UK is facing a significant increase in its welfare bill due to a rise in sickness benefits, attributed largely to mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. The cost of sickness benefits is expected to surge by more than a third, with a budget watchdog citing an increase in Britons being signed off work. This rise in worklessness is contributing to what has been described as Britain's longest sick note epidemic in 25 years, with 2.7 million people claiming they are too ill to work, thereby impacting the country's economic growth. Additionally, Britain is projected to face a £16 billion annual bill to cover the cost of disability benefits, with 600,000 more working-age Britons than before the pandemic neither in work nor looking for a job due to ill health. The welfare bill could increase to £90bn by the end of the decade, posing a challenge to the UK's welfare system and raising questions about how to address the increasing worklessness crisis.
Britain faces a £16 billion annual bill to cover the spiralling cost of disability benefits with 600,000 more working-age Britons than before the pandemic neither in work nor looking for a job due to ill health https://t.co/f7jBBoLRi0
Britain faces a £16 billion annual bill to cover the spiralling cost of disability benefits with 600,000 more working-age Britons than before the pandemic neither in work nor looking for a job due to ill health https://t.co/DNHau0w9gN
Britain faces a £16 billion annual bill to cover the spiralling cost of disability benefits with 600,000 more working-age Britons than before the pandemic neither in work nor looking for a job due to ill health https://t.co/ygaez4Qqed
Longest sustained rise in people too sick to work since 1990s, says thinktank https://t.co/j7AUAdYtfn
Britain is suffering its longest sick note epidemic for 25 years as 2.7MILLION people claim they are too ill to work and holding back the country's economic growth in the process https://t.co/uxV5xH2kCW https://t.co/uAkzUqTZZw
Britain’s welfare bill could increase to £90bn by the end of the decade. How do we get sicknote Britain back to work? 📞0344 499 1000 @JakeBerry https://t.co/b3nH8EBZvI
Sickness benefits costs to soar by a third as increasing number of Britons sign off work for mental health reasons https://t.co/z6khnu0bgC
Cost of sickness benefits set to rise by more a third, says budget watchdog - as increasing numbers of Brits signed off work for mental health conditions including anxiety and depression https://t.co/Dl0QImNoOU https://t.co/H11aAa6NkI
Sickness benefits bill to surge by a third as worklessness crisis deepens Read this front page story here ⬇️ https://t.co/jz1YjVsmVD