Could new plans help more people stay in work when their health takes a hit?

Being too unwell to work can knock your confidence, your finances, and your sense of purpose. And with the number of people out of work because of long-term sickness rising sharply in recent years, the government says it’s time to act.

This week, ministers announced a new three-year plan called Keep Britain Working - a partnership between the government and more than 60 employers, including big names like Sainsbury’s, Google and British Airways.

The idea? To make it easier for people to stay in work when they’re struggling with their health and to get the right support to return when they’re ready.

A growing problem

Right now, one in five working-age adults are out of work because of ill-health - that’s around 800,000 more people than in 2019.

Being out of work can mean money worries and poorer mental health. It’s a vicious cycle that can be hard to break.

The new plan hopes to tackle that by helping employers do more to prevent ill-health in the first place and by offering better early support when workers start to struggle.

How the new plan will work

Over the next three years, selected employers will take part in what’s being called a ‘vanguard programme’ - testing new ways to support staff who are unwell or living with disabilities.

That could mean things like:

• offering more flexible working or gradual return-to-work options
• providing better access to mental health and wellbeing support
• training managers to spot when someone’s struggling and step in early

These pilot projects will help build a new national approach - one that could eventually become a voluntary workplace health standard by 2029.

Why it matters

The government says ill-health stopping people from working is costing the economy around 7% of GDP - almost as much as all the income tax collected each year. But the cost to individuals can be even greater.

Sir Charlie Mayfield, the former John Lewis boss who led the review behind the plan, put it simply:

“Ill-health has become one of the biggest brakes on growth and opportunity. But this is not inevitable. If we keep Britain working, everyone wins – people, employers and the state.”

Hope for the future

The initiative builds on the government’s Plan for Change, which includes investing £1bn a year in disability employment support by the end of the decade.

Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden said:

“Keeping people healthy and in work is the right thing to do and is essential for economic growth. When businesses retain talent and reduce workplace ill-health, everyone wins.”