UK sick leave numbers revealed – and the government’s plan to cut them
Tens of thousands of people with mental health conditions, bad backs or high blood pressure are among those to be offered skills and employment support thanks to the redeployment of 1,000 specialist Jobcentre staff to help those on sickness benefits, the government has announced.
The additional staff will provide voluntary help to people on Universal Credit with no requirement to look for work or engage with job help because of their condition – the first ever national offer to support this group.
The work coaches – known as Pathways to Work advisers – are now based in every Jobcentre in England, Wales, and Scotland, with a target to help 65,000 people with Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity (LCWRA) by the end of this financial year.
They will work with claimants to overcome barriers to work and support them by signposting them to additional employment and skills services, such as IT and HGV driving, Government funded Connect to Work support, or on the job training in some key sectors including construction and hospitality.
Recent data shows around 2.2 million people are on the country’s main benefit, told they’re too sick to work, and have been left behind with no support and no help – with approximately 1.3 million because of a mental illness and 900,000 with back pain, arthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions.
“Two million people stuck on benefits with no opportunities, no help and no prospects is the shocking inheritance we must tackle,” said Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden.
“I’m determined to give people the skills they need to thrive in the modern economy, and help them move into good, secure jobs. These dedicated staff are key to unlocking work for tens of thousands of people as we get on with our plan to get Britain working.”
