A much-praised British scheme to help disabled workers is failing them
It lavishes spending on some, and unfairly deprives others
RACHEL REEVES, Britain’s chancellor, loves “working people”. She mentioned them 13 times in her budget speech in October. But like her Conservative predecessors, Ms Reeves is rather less keen on benefit recipients. The welfare bill for those on sickness and disability is expected to increase by about half in the next five years, exceeding £100bn ($123bn), or 3% of GDP, by 2030. Some suspect the generous terms are contributing to Britain’s high levels of economic inactivity.
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Apple watches and wobble boards”
Britain January 11th 2025
- What Elon Musk’s tweets about sex abuse reveal about British politics
- Rolls-Royce cars push the pedal on customisation
- A much-praised British scheme to help disabled workers is failing them
- Britons are keener than ever to bring back lost and rare species
- The decline in remote working hits Britain’s housing market
- The phenomenon of sexual strangulation in Britain
- How means conquered ends
From the January 11th 2025 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Britain
Has the Royal Navy become too timid?
A new paper examines how its culture has changed
A plan to reorganise local government in England runs into opposition
Turkeys vote against Christmas
David Lammy’s plan to shake up Britain’s Foreign Office
Diplomats will be tasked with growing the economy and cutting migration
Britain’s government has spooked markets and riled businesses
Tax rises were inevitable. Such a shaky start was not
Labour’s credibility trap
Who can believe Rachel Reeves?