The data would suggest that isn't the case. > Record numbers not working due to ill health https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65596283 https://www.bbc.com/news/

The data would suggest that isn't the case. > Record numbers not working due to ill health https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65596283 https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65596283 From the summary of the data[1] being relied upon in that report: > The number of people economically inactive because of long-term sickness has risen to over 2.5 million people, an increase of over 400,000 since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. > Over 1.35 million (53%) of those inactive because of long-term sickness reported that they had depression, bad nerves or anxiety in Quarter 1 2023, with the majority (over 1 million) reporting it as a secondary health condition rather than their main one. Bad nerves and anxiety could be a reason for a tiny number of people, but those numbers are huge, and if you think I'm lacking compassion for this, hearing what whistleblowers say regarding the way assessments are done[2] may be relevant: > Sickness benefit assessments via telephone (rather than in-person visit) are now routine and it's not always necessary to provide proof of a sick note. In the film, Michael Houston, a former assessor, is asked how well it's possible to discern, over the phone, if someone should qualify for full sickness benefit. "Not very," he replied, "which is one of the things that ethically and morally I didn't really feel comfortable with." That's not even the half of it, and that website has stories of people trapped in the system. [1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/economicinactivity/articles/risingillhealthandeconomicinactivitybecauseoflongtermsicknessuk/2019to2023 https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotin... [2] https://www.benefitstrap.com/sarah https://www.benefitstrap.com/sarah