This week, we had an insightful conversation about the new report from Policy in Practice titled “Missing Out”. We were joined by one of the report’s authors, Deven Ghelani. We delved into the key findings of the report, which revealed that the total amount of unclaimed income-related benefits and social tariffs now stands at £22.7 billion annually—an increase of £4 billion from last year.
At the same time, we also discussed the Prime Minister’s recent speech about what he referred to as the “Sick Note Culture”. He highlighted that in England, 11 million people were issued fit notes last year, with 94% being declared “not fit for work”. This comes against the backdrop of an increase of 850,000 people suffering from long-term sickness since the pandemic. It’s important to note that not all of these fit notes are for long-term conditions, nor did the Prime Minister address the potential impact on employers.
Our discussion raised concerns about whether the increase in unclaimed benefits might be linked to the growing negative attitude towards those who claim benefits. It’s troubling to think that while economic policies claim to support people in need, they may also be contributing to a culture that unjustly criticises and alienates these very individuals. This approach not only undermines the support systems in place but also unfairly demonises those who rely on them during tough times.
The recording can be accessed from https://bit.ly/VNR240422. While the slide pack, files and reports can be downloaded below/