Research from IES shows primary care staff involvement can have a big impact on helping people back to work but few employers take advantage of this.
The research shows health advice is not always an integral part of back-to-work support programmes for incapacity benefit claimants, and healthcare professionals generally do not have the training and knowledge to advise on employment issues.
Incapacity benefit claimants lack up-to-date workplace skills, but the research shows existing programmes often do not include training programmes to help them get back to work quickly.
Older men are the largest single group of incapacity benefit claimants but there are few programmes to help older people on incapacity benefits to return to work.
Ruth Francis, research fellow at the IES and one of the authors of the report, said: "This research comes at a critical time as the Government is focusing on how it can support longer-term incapacity benefit claimants, who in the past have been somewhat neglected.
"In its welfare Green Paper in July, the Government pledged to work with the private and voluntary sectors to offer personalised back-to-work support programmes for longer-term incapacity benefits claimants. IES's research will make an important contribution to thinking about programme design."
Involve health professionals to get long-term sick back to work
Healthcare professionals need to engage more with employers to help people with long-term health problems return to work, according to the Institute for Employment Studies (IES).
