What Mayfield Review tells us about 'fit note Britain'

Charlie Mayfield, former chair of the John Lewis Partnership, has produced an eye-catching report warning of an “economic inactivity crisis” that threatens Britain’s prosperity.

- SEAN O'GRADY

The Mayfield Review into “fit note Britain” - commissioned by the government - is now contributing to the wider debate on social security and the numbers of people reliant on state benefits for long-term sickness and disability. It is a controversial and still not fully researched field.

What's the problem?

It's a big one. A remarkable one in five working-age adults in Britain are now out of the labour force for health reasons– 800,000 more than in 2019. The cost of ill-health that prevents work equates to 7 per cent of GDP, an amount that would be more than sufficient to plug Rachel Reeves's Budget shortfall.

Employment among people with disabilities stands at 53 per cent, worse than many comparable nations. For those in jobs, employers lose £85bn a year from sickness, turnover and lost productivity.

What's gone wrong?