The report, published last Thursday (6 February), is based on a survey of 3,401 people who receive benefits in this category. It also stated that 66% of this cohort felt that their health would get worse in the future.
A quarter (27%) of this survey group reported that they might be able to work in future, but only if their health improved.
Among those whose main health condition affected their mental health, 44% felt that they might be able to work again if their health improved.
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The report revealed that 200,000 people on health and disability benefits would be ready to work, with the right support.
Speaking after the publication of the report, Liz Kendall, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said that a lot of people on sickness or disability benefits want to work.
She said: “Many of them have just lost jobs that they desperately miss, or really want to get back into work once they've got their health condition under control.”
When pressed on whether everyday worries were being "over-medicalised", in comments to the press after the publication of the DWP report, Kendall replied: “There is genuinely a problem with many young people, particularly the Covid generation... but we can’t have a situation where doing a day’s work is in itself seen as stressful.”
Karl Bennett, chair of the UK employee assistance professionals association, and wellbeing advisor at the employee benefits provider Perkbox, told HR magazine that while some employees' heath conditions are too severe for them to work, more could be done to enable others with les severe health conditions to work.
And with the landscape around wellbeing having changed – a study from the American Psychological Association in 2023 found that Gen Z are more likely to be open about their mental health – Bennett added that organisations might want to change their culture to meet this new landscape.
He added: “I sometimes think that tradition is the enemy of a happy fulfilled workforce; change needs to come from businesses too.”
Rachel Suff, the CIPD's senior employee relations adviser, stated that many people out of work would like to return to employment, but the onus is on employers to make everything, from recruitment to the culture, more open and flexible.
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She said: “Employers should foster an open culture where employees feel comfortable discussing their health needs without fear of stigma or discrimination.
“Organisations should also invest in training for managers to better understand and support employees with health conditions or disabilities.”
Lucy Lintott, an associate at law firm Charles Russell Speechlys, explained that the changed landscape around health is protected by UK legislation.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “Legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 mean that businesses must consider reasonable adjustments. But practical challenges remain, particularly where an employee’s condition significantly limits their ability to work in any capacity.”
She added: “It is important to engage in an open conversation with employees, obtain medical advice and explore reasonable adjustments before concluding that an individual is unfit for work in the long-term.”
Lintott said that support through employee assistance programmes, flexible working arrangements and phased returns can also help employees feel supported.
She continued: “Keeping an open communication and taking early action is key; by engaging with employees at an early stage and considering practical adjustments, businesses can fulfil their legal obligations and create a supportive working environment, which benefits both employees and the organisation.”
