Record Numbers Not Working Due To Ill Health

Borabah

My work life is erratic and unpredictable due to long covid. I never know when a downturn will happen. Usually when I have done too much. Rest for a few days. I wouldn't say it causes me to be sick long term.
I hope others aren't playing the system.

I'm sorry long covid hit you hard. Well done you keeping on.

It's in most papers if you dont like the tabloids, the stats are from the ons. It's possible to be somewhere in the middle (ever the centrist) to not believe that everyone is a malingerer but to also believe that work is important for peoples well being mental health etc, and that it might be useful to look at what is happening.

National and local governments couldn’t get rid of we fifty somethings fast enough back in 2010/11.

When I was 43, I had an ongoing medical issue, it required a procedure that took place every 3 weeks under general anaesthetic, I had the procedure done on Friday (my day off) and had the weekend to recover.
This went on for 9 months.
It never occurred to me to ask for time off or to take time off sick.
Perhaps it’s a generation thing?

Look at the ONS statistics I posted above. Over 50s is where the major issue is. Sickness in under 25s is very low.

Yes I heard this did wonder about it all.🤔

HousePlantQueen

No, we are becoming a nation of unfeeling, unsympathetic tabloid led cynics.

My reaction too.

I cannot comment on muscular skeletal problems but I can comment on the overwhelming increase in very serious Mental Health referrals into the system and I am talking serious not trivial.

As for living the life of Riley whist suffering from this area of sickness well I am shocked about what she people have said frankly.

I spent several decades as a social worker. I encountered a mere handful of people who were playing the system, but many hundreds who were not getting the services or benefits they needed or were entitled to.

One of the reasons for high sickness rates now is the death of the NHS. Conditions that could be treated so people could go to work go untreated and deteriorate.

Actually I have a friend ( and know of others) who has been very severely affected by ‘ long Covid’, having caught Covid before vaccines were invented. It’s certainly not an excuse for my friend -who was the main carer for her disabled child ( with 24/7 care needs) can now barely walk a few feet - even after 2.5 years and is very frustrated by her limitations. Her partner has had to stop work to care for both the child and mother. There’s very little medical or financial help and nothing for a good year. It takes many many months for help with care needs (jumping through hoop after hoop) to get started- and I think there is quite a delay for benefits to start too.
I know my friend wants to be well again.

DH had to retire early due to ill health almost a year ago. He worked for over 40 years. Nothing to do with Covid.

I guess any adult below state pension age (66)who is not paying tax is counted in the statistics as economically inactive.

Honestly what has happened to people on GN. This thread is castigating anyone who has health problems. Another one is demonising young mums. All the posters seem to be healthy, hardworking, self sacrificing and brilliant parents/friends/relatives. The one thing many of them obviously lack is compassion.
The fact that many over 50s are not working because of long term health problems has to be linked to the rise in pension age. If you were a 55 year old woman suffering from stress, knowing you would be able to leave your job in 5 years might have kept you working. The fact that it will be 10 or even more years will drive you to leaving.

I think you make a fair point GSM but I think it's useful to look at other angles. For many, the whole scary business of the pandemic made them reevaluate their priorities in life and that is no bad thing. Another really big question (which should also perhaps be at the core of sorting out the NHS ) is why is there SO much ill health?

Pension age has increased recently- for women by many years. Sadly poor health increases with age, and many people like Claretjans husband ( and mine sadly) are not well enough to work full time until 66/67. Could some of the increase in sickness also be the increase in pension age?

Margiknot I have two friends ( not close) who are completely incapacitated with long Covid both had their own businesses one a farm which she ran herself and now can barely get out of bed.
It’s very easy to shout that everyone not working is a skiver

Are we becoming a nation of malingers? no I don’t think we are Gsm but we do seem to becoming less caring and a lot more suspicious and judgemental

I looked up the sources of these statistics and they are not exactly transparent.
Our experience at Citizens Advice suggests there are many people who make fully deserved claims for the various sickness benefits and are turned down, especially if their condition is invisible eg pain, mental illness. How do the stats somehow manage to cover those people? Hopefully because they have gone to Tribunals and won their appeals, after months of waiting.
There are few fraudulent claims for sickness benefits. They are hard to get and provide only a pittance to try to live on.
It is hard enough being ill or disabled, without being thought to be a fraud, or not being able to afford to heat your home.

Hear hear Cabbie.

I do think that work has become far more stressful for many. In caring professions the pressures are enormous. People are expected to work extra hours and be available from home. In many jobs that are at all people related workers face frustrated and upset customers or service users. Deadlines are tighter. Finance is tighter.

Young people are more able to withstand these pressures simply due to having more energy and better health.

the well being of people is not a national aim like it is in some Scandinavian countries. Its all about "Growth" for "prosperity" then things willl be OK.

But the way people are pushed in the workplace - not all by any means, happily - becomes intolerable and has poor health outcomes (and of course not the help needed either).

HousePlantQueen

No, we are becoming a nation of unfeeling, unsympathetic tabloid led cynics.

Very sad too.

I've watched a few people I know absolutely devastated by long covid.

Energetic family driven people who have become unwell with covid and then completely changed in terms of their abilities to function

1 has dropped hours at their work

1 is still working full time but absolutely cannot do much else

1 has been signed off for long periods

Anecdotal I know but watching people go from 100 miles and hour to crawling is strange

A lot of people stopped working during the pandemic. A friend had to look after her children, then her husband.

Imagine that you've managed to continue working and supporting yourself, despite poor health, then had Covid.

Maybe you got through the lockdowns and school closures - and/or, perhaps worked from home, was paid CJRS (furlough) - then lost your job. What are the chances, really, of being well enough to start a new one - and, most importantly, who would employ you?

There are genuine people but a load that are not.

Glorianny

Honestly what has happened to people on GN. This thread is castigating anyone who has health problems. Another one is demonising young mums. All the posters seem to be healthy, hardworking, self sacrificing and brilliant parents/friends/relatives. The one thing many of them obviously lack is compassion.
The fact that many over 50s are not working because of long term health problems has to be linked to the rise in pension age. If you were a 55 year old woman suffering from stress, knowing you would be able to leave your job in 5 years might have kept you working. The fact that it will be 10 or even more years will drive you to leaving.

Exactly so.

We have an original post about how the numbers of people ill and unable to work has risen; that there are more young people with mental health problems; that musculoskeletal problems have increased. And what do we hear from subsequent posters? - not sympathy or compassion for all these sick people, but an assumption that they are skivers. How very sad.

There are genuine people but a load that are not. ..... a load! Please define a load. Please tell us your evidence.

Pre-Covid (2019-20), government's own benefit fraud percentage was 1.2% for benefits administered by DWP.
By 2022, fraud levels across all benefits were 3%, DWP said.
A reminder - a UK individual is 23x more likely to be prosecuted for benefit fraud than tax fraud, even though tax fraud costs UK for 9x as much as benefit fraud.

Sad so many are so judgemental without having any background or knowledge of anyone else’s circumstances just jump to the negative