The number of working-age people on health-related benefits has increased by 38 per cent in the last four years, according to a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)
A surge in health-related benefit claims could prompt an overhaul of the system by the new Labour government, as it faces a significant financial challenge. According to a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies , the number of working-age individuals claiming these benefits has increased by 38% over the past four years, reaching 3.9 million in 2023/24.
IFS research economist Eduin Latimer stated: "The recent rise in health-related benefit claims is creating a fiscal headache for the Government and, of course, is a bad sign about population health. Two simple candidate explanations, that this is just driven by the pandemic or the cost-of-living crisis, are hard to square with the lack of similar trends elsewhere."
"Figuring out what is behind the recent rise must surely be a top priority for the Government if it is going to be able to respond appropriately.", said Sharlene McGee, policy manager at The Health Foundation, reports Birmingham Live."This worrying increase in people claiming disability-related benefits is yet another sign that many people are experiencing poor health and disability, with greater rises in areas of higher deprivation.
Iain Porter, senior policy adviser at the JRF, commented: "This research shows there is still lots we don't know about why so many people are claiming ill-health benefits. The Government should look into this important issue in depth to get to the root cause of this problem. A warning light the Government cannot ignore is how inadequate our social security system is. People claiming universal credit can't afford the most basic essentials like food or clothing.
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