UK Faces Worst Worker Health Crisis in Decades as Pandemic Fuels Activity Drop

• Legacy of pandemic blamed for rise in illness-related inactivity to 2.7 million in UK workforce • Britain facing worst sickness crisis since 1990s record, with sustained increase over 4.5 years • 9.25 million working-age people now economically inactive; youth and older adults drive trend • Spending on health/disability benefits to rise by over a third in next 5 years, to £90.9 billion • Personal Independence Payment claims up 68% since 2020, especially in youth and older groups