Worklessness

A very interesting word that I came across today. This designates a state where a person is of employment age, ie between the ages of 18 and 65, but is unemployed because of a disability. The disability could be as a result of physical illness, physical disability or mental illness or disability.

It seems the UK now has the highest number of people in this category in the world. In the UK, generous disability benefits are provided to people in this category and the number of people in this category has increased after Covid.

Could it be that people are more unwell after Covid because of the long term effects of catching Covid, or mental health issues as a result of either catching Covid or the effects of a lockdown. Was it because it is simpler to be diagnosed as being under a disability because the rules were relaxed after Covid or because testing was no longer by way of a physical examination but done over a zoom call? I was surprised that in there were YouTube videos instructing viewers on how to answer questions in the UK during the examination so as to be able to qualify for disability benefits. Has something gone wrong with the system?

I remember in 2019 when I visited Brighton, I was at a cafe in a shopping center and a middle aged couple sat across me sipping their coffee. They were friendly and we chatted. They told me that they were both unemployed and collecting disability payments and living in a council flat. They seemed perfectly fine to me, spoke well and walked off without any difficulties after finishing their coffee.

At what stage does a well intentioned disability benefit turn into a disincentive to work?

If someone stops working and starts to collect disability benefits, it will be difficult for that person to go back to work and forego the benefit. Inertia sets in. What incentive do they have to start working again to earn a livelihood? Should there be incentives provided to get someone back to work or disincentives if they remain out of employment too long? Should testing criteria be tightened?

I can imagine the drain on a country if people who can work and contribute to the economy stop working and instead take benefits from the system. Of course there will always be genuine cases that must be looked after. But at some point in time the economic impact will take its toll. Apart from the economic strain, what is the psychological impact on the country when working adults, who are contributing to the economy and paying taxes, see their tax payments used in this manner? Will it discourage hard work and encourage more to take an easier option?