Keir Starmer has made it clear that he believes long-term sickness benefit claimants should be encouraged to seek employment, even though he acknowledges there will be difficult cases.
Speaking to the BBC’s Today programme, he emphasized that while many individuals might feel anxious about returning to work after a long period of illness, the underlying principle of looking for work remains essential.
He added that both the government and businesses must provide support to ease these transitions back into employment.
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Starmer’s comments came after his party conference speech, where he told Labour supporters that maintaining the welfare state’s integrity required actions to curb benefit fraud and reduce unemployment.
He stressed the importance of legislation to tackle these issues, particularly focusing on ensuring that those who can work are supported in doing so.
When asked if he supported the idea that virtually everyone on benefits should aim to return to work, Starmer reaffirmed that the principle is sound but emphasized the need for proper assistance.
He pointed to programs where businesses are actively helping long-term sick individuals reintegrate into the workforce.
For many of these people, he said, the fear of being unable to cope with work again after a long absence is a significant barrier.
The UK has seen a spike in economic inactivity following the Covid-19 pandemic, with the number of people not working and not looking for work remaining unusually high.
Nearly 3 million people are currently out of work due to ill health, a rise of half a million compared to 2019.
This trend has substantial financial implications, with the Office for Budget Responsibility predicting a £30 billion increase in sickness and disability benefit costs over the next five years.
Labour responded to the issue by proposing a plan to address these rising costs, which includes deploying specialist doctors to regions with the highest levels of worklessness due to poor health.
Wes Streeting, the Shadow Health Secretary, outlined this initiative, saying that the NHS’s best practices would be used to help get ill Britons back into work.
In his interview, Starmer was also questioned about other trade-offs he had mentioned in his conference speech.
One notable example was his stance on energy infrastructure, where he acknowledged the public’s concerns about unsightly pylons but stressed their necessity for delivering cheaper electricity.
He emphasized the importance of being honest with the public, saying that achieving certain goals, like reducing energy costs, would inevitably require compromises.
On the topic of illegal migration, Starmer criticized the current Conservative government’s handling of the asylum backlog, with tens of thousands of cases still awaiting processing.
He pledged that a Labour government would clear the backlog and ensure that those without a valid claim to remain in the UK would be returned to their home countries.
However, he was also clear that under Labour’s approach, some asylum seekers would be granted permission to stay.
Currently, around 97,000 people claimed asylum in the year leading up to June 2024, with the largest numbers coming from Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Vietnam, India, and Bangladesh. Of those denied asylum, 7,190 were returned to their home countries in that period.
One of Starmer’s early actions as Labour leader was to cancel the Conservative government’s controversial Rwanda policy, which aimed to discourage illegal Channel crossings by sending asylum seekers to Rwanda.
He dismissed the scheme as a costly and ineffective tactic, instead pledging to target the smuggling gangs responsible for arranging these dangerous journeys.
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