Labour will help the 54,800 long-term sick people in the South East who want to work back into employment

233,700 people in the South East are economically inactive due to long-term sickness, with 54,800 (23%) of these are keen to re-enter employment as soon as possible.

Since the pandemic, there has been an especially sharp uptick in economic inactivity amongst workers aged over 50, a problem exacerbated by record NHS waiting lists leaving hundreds of thousands of people unable to access the treatment they need to recover.

10,100 more 50-64-year-olds in the South East are economically inactive because of long-term sickness than there were before the pandemic. This amounts to a substantial 9% increase in older people outside the workforce because of ill health.

High levels of sick workers leaving the workforce have come alongside increases in the numbers relying on means-tested disability and health-related benefits in the South East.

Labour analysis shows that there are 37,484 more recipients of means-tested disability and health-related benefits in the South East than there were before the pandemic.

Labour has called on the Government to take urgent action to help [over-50s and] the long-term sick back to work.

Labour has announced plans to transforming Jobcentres and employment support services. Budgets will be devolved to local areas that know their local jobs and skills needs best, and tailored support will be offered to the unemployed and inactive people who want help – with services available to a wider group of people than just those receiving unemployment benefits.

Labour will also look to expand employment programmes targeted at people with ill health, including those delivered via the NHS.

Peter Lamb, Labour candidate for Crawley, said:

“Far too many working lives are being cut short due to a system incapable of helping them to move back into work, to the cost not only of those affected but the country which can ill-afford to lose their talents.

“Labour has a plan to get Britain working again. We will give more power and flexibility to local areas to run employment support services, and ensure that Jobcentres are open and accessible to all who would benefit from targeted, specialist help as part of our ambition to target the highest employment in the G7.”