Labour tells sick Brits to look for work

Labour will send leading doctors to areas of the country with the most people off work sick, after Keir Starmer said that long-term benefit claimants should look for work “where they can”. Nearly three million people are out of work due to long-term sickness, including 237,000 people aged 16 to 24 – up from 184,000 before the pandemic. The government’s plan might only be a sticking plaster for young people, whose increased economic inactivity has been connected to rising levels of mental illness – which did not get a mention in health secretary Wes Streeting’s conference speech. A team of doctors may be able to speed up procedures, but it’s not a sure-fire fix for illnesses which can’t be cured on the operating table. The Office for Budget Responsibility says the bill for sickness and disability benefits will increase by £30 billion over the next five years.