Mental ill-health is behind soaring disability benefits bill in England and Wales, report says
More than half of the increase in disability benefits is due to more mental health claims, according to research.Since the pandemic, the number of working-age adults in England and Wales paid disability benefits has increased by nearly 1 million people to 2.9 million in 2024, with 7.5% of 16- to 64-year-olds claiming.A report by an influential economic thinktank, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), has calculated that about 500,000 of this rise is due to more claims for mental ill-health.
Whereas in 2002, mental health or behavioural problems were the main condition for 25% of claimants, it had risen to 40% by 2019 and has accelerated further since Covid-19,In 2024, the proportion of those receiving disability benefits whose main condition was a mental or behavioural problem had reached 44% (3,3% of the working-age population),It means that “55% of the post-pandemic rise in disability benefits can be accounted for by claims primarily for mental health”, the IFS report states,The government is expected to announce sharp cuts to the personal independence payment (Pip), the main disability benefit, arguing the bill for disability benefits, which rose by nearly £13bn to £48bn between 2019-20 and 2023-24, is unsustainable.
Pip is not means-tested or linked to employment status, but is meant to help people with the extra costs of their disability, with claimants getting £1,500 to £9,610 a year, depending on their assessed level of disability.But the IFS’s assessment of the growth in those claiming disability benefits, concludes that there is “compelling evidence that mental health has worsened since the pandemic” and that deteriorating mental health has contributed to these increases in the disability benefit bill.One factor is stubbornly high mortality rates in England and Wales, with death rates 5.5% in 2023 above the 2015-19 average, most of these due to alcohol, drugs or suicide.The report, funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Health Foundation, calculates that after adjusting for demographic changes, there were about 3,700 more deaths in 2023 due to alcohol, drugs and suicide among working-age adults, compared with before the pandemic.
Those with mental health conditions are at much higher risk of deaths from these causes, so the increase in mortality from these causes also indicates increased prevalence of severe mental ill-health, the study states.Sickness absence rates per worker were 37% higher in 2022 than 2019 – providing further evidence, the IFS says, that population health has worsened.In all, the report calculates that about 13-15% of working-age people had a long-term mental health or behavioural condition.Demand for mental health services is up more than 36% on pre-pandemic levels, it calculates, with 2 million people in contact with NHS mental health services in December 2024.Eduin Latimer, research economist at IFS and an author of the report, said the evidence in the report suggested “mental health across the population has worsened” and “may also be contributing to the rising benefits bill”.
Responding to the study, Brian Dow, deputy chief executive of Rethink Mental Illness, said: “The pandemic put a spotlight on the nation’s mental health, and this research highlights why it must remain a national priority.Mental health services are struggling to meet growing demand, with long waits leading to suicide attempts, A&E visits, and the loss of livelihoods.“Growth won’t come from slashing benefits for the most unwell or cutting essential services – it comes from improving access to timely mental health treatment.We also need to urgently develop a better understanding of the complex reasons behind why more people are experiencing mental health problems, with an increased focus on preventing people from becoming unwell in the first place.”Iain Porter, senior policy adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “Greater openness about mental health has helped many people to live with conditions which were once hidden, but the rise in deaths from alcohol, drugs or suicide also shows that reducing stigma does not eliminate the most serious consequences of rising mental ill-health.
This trend is real and growing, and we need our government to look carefully at the health of the nation, rather than relying on benefit cuts to fix the problem.”A government spokesperson said: “We have been clear that the current welfare system is broken and needs reform, so that it’s fair on the taxpayer, helps sick and disabled people who can work to find employment, and ensures people receive the support they need.“Without reform more people will be locked out of jobs, despite many wanting to work.That is not just bad for the economy, it’s bad for people too, and that’s why we will bring forward our proposals for reform shortly as part of our Plan for Change.”
Ham, mozzarella and … orange?! Australia invents a new topping to enrage the pizza purists
Remember when a few chunks of pineapple were enough to cause outrage? This latest offering puts even chicken tikka masala or pumpkin and hummus pizza in the shadeName: Orange pizza.Age: First mentions come in 314BC and AD997 respectively. The combination, however, is a product of our own dark age.Appearance: There’s no getting round this – it’s an orange pizza.All pizzas are sort of orange, aren’t they? By which I mean, a pizza with oranges on it
Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for miso mushroom noodles with pak choi and chilli | Quick and easy
This dish is absolutely lovely with flat, knife-cut noodles, which you can buy from my favourite website, Sous Chef. However, for a 10-minute weeknight meal, where the sauce cooks in the time it takes to cook your carb, I suggest that you use tagliatelle instead. When cooked al dente, it has that chewy texture that works beautifully with the garlic, ginger and chilli-spiked miso sauce, and with the slight crunch of the pak choi. It’s a lovely spin on a quick stir-fry.Prep 10 min Cook 10 min Serves 2180g dried tagliatelle3 tbsp sesame oil 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely grated2 red chillies, 1 finely chopped, 1 finely sliced250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced2 large pak choi, cut lengthways into eighths40g red or white miso paste1 tbsp rice-wine vinegar2 tsp white sesame seeds 2 tsp black sesame seedsCook the tagliatelle in a pan of boiling water (I wouldn’t salt it, because the dressing is salty enough) for nine minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until al dente
Rachel Roddy’s recipe for flatbreads stuffed with spinach and cheese | A kitchen in Rome
This week’s recipe involves making a dough of flour (any flour), water, olive oil, thick plain yoghurt and salt, and it requires no rising agent and no resting. Thanks to the olive oil and yoghurt, it is a dough that comes together easily and behaves in a way that reminds me of warm putty, coming away from the sides of the bowl, hardly sticking to the hands and almost bringing itself into a neat ball. Unlike so many things at the moment, it is a helpful, thoughtful and stretchy dough that can be rolled or pulled into sort-of circles that can accommodate just about any filling, although mine is inspired by the cheese and greens mixture that filled the Azerbaijani qu’tab my colleagues Alice and Deruba made me a few weeks ago.The best way to eat these flatbreads is, I think, two minutes and 23 seconds after they come out of the hot pan, so they have cooled just enough to handle and so that the puff of hot air that accompanies the first bite is funny rather than scalding; but they need to be still warm enough that the pastry is fried and the filling tender with melted cheese. While they want for nothing, these friendly, crowdpleasing flatbreads are great with a spoonful of mango chutney, preserved lemon or green bean pickle, or with seasoned yoghurt and a salad (of grated carrot and shredded green cabbage, maybe)
Joe Trivelli’s recipes for cod and leeks, roasted Jerusalem artichokes and a pear and honey dessert
Salt cod and sweet pears are just the thing to stir happy memoriesI have history with salt cod. Some years ago, we were on our way from the south of Italy, where my father is from, to Tuscany, where my parents now live. We had a new baby and a car suspension compromised by a boot packed with wheels of cheese and salami. We took a break on the outskirts of a town not far from Naples, where we planned to order a quick primi and be on our way.The pastas came and went, and then more cutlery arrived for one member of our party – my father, unable to resist salt cod, sat bashfully awaiting a sneakily ordered secondi for at least another hour
How tasting notes play conjuring tricks with our expectations
From ‘massive fruitiness’ to a ‘touch of spice’, what do wine tasting notes really tell us about the glass we are about to drink?The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.Remy Farbras Ventoux, Rhône, France 2022 (£7.99 down from £9
Sharmilee, Leicester: ‘It really is worth your time’ – restaurant review
Our hugely influential restaurant critic, leaving the Observer after 26 years, finishes up with an Indian feastSharmilee, 71-73 Belgrave Road, Leicester LE4 6AS, (0116 266 8471). Starters £4.25- £5.95, mains £6.95-£12
Poor results at Puma and Zara owner fuel fears of slowing US consumer demand
Timid FCA has retreated too far on its ‘name and shame’ proposals
ChatGPT firm reveals AI model that is ‘good at creative writing’
iPhone 16e review: Apple’s cheapest new phone
Borthwick deserves credit after bold selection for England’s Wales test
Steve Borthwick may use three fly-halves for Six Nations finale in Wales