A Government work tsar has hit out at the fit note system, declaring it ‘insane’ that young people can get signed off work for conditions such as ADHD after a GP appointment.
Former health secretary Alan Milburn said the system – designed to help people return to work – is ‘ruining the life chances’ of young people.
It comes amid a sharp rise in mental health problems since the pandemic, with 2.8 million working-age people now out of work because of long-term sickness.
This is the equivalent of over one in five working-age adults, costing the UK billions in lost output and welfare payments, according to official figures.
‘The fit note system is just bl***y insane. You get a fit note. You enter the welfare system and then you get a health and disability benefit,’ Mr Milburn, who is currently leading an independent review into young people and work commissioned by the Government, said.
‘The stickiness kicks in. You stand a 50 per cent chance of being on a health and disability benefit if you get it today, in 15 years’ time.
‘Everybody talks about the fiscal disaster, but most importantly, it’s a life chances disaster because we’re ruining the life chances of these young people.’
Mr Milburn made the comments during a recent ‘fact-finding’ visit to the Netherlands, where fewer than five per cent of young people are not in education, employment or training, compared with 13.6 per cent in the UK.
Former health secretary Alan Milburn hit out at how young people can get signed off for conditions such as ADHD
More than 11 million sick notes were issued in England last year, newly released figures show
It comes amid an alarming surge in mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
Younger adults are some of the worst affected, with 26 per cent of those aged 16 to 29 suffering significant symptoms of depression.
In 2023, one in five eight-to-16-year-old had a probable mental disorder, up from just one in six in 2020.
Last year, more than 11.2 million ‘fit notes’ were issued, an increase of almost 300,000 on the previous year.
Around a third of people given sick notes are signed off for four weeks or more, by which time 20 per cent will never return to work.
Further evidence suggests once people are signed off for six months, 80 per cent will never return to the workplace.
Mr Milburn, a former Labour Cabinet Minister, added: ‘Just because you’ve got a condition, or even just because you’ve got a diagnosis, shouldn’t mean you aren’t able to work.
‘What is it that we need to do to stop the notion that just because you either self-identify or are identified as having a condition, that automatically means you’re not able to participate in the labour market,’ he asked.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham with Alan Milburn and Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden during a visit to Alstom Transport in Derby
Sir Gareth Southgate, ex-England manager, who accompanied Mr Milburn to an intervention in Holland, echoed the former health secretary’s concerns.
‘As a coach, as a parent, you are very conscious of putting a label on a young person because firstly, it can limit what they think is possible in their life. And secondly, it follows them around.
‘I’ve met lots of youngsters with ADHD, with autism, have had the opportunity to have a different way of being schooled and are really thriving.
‘There are definitely so many good qualities for people with those diagnoses and we have to be very careful not to write those people off.’
The Government faces immense pressure to reduce the benefits bill that is projected to hit £400 billion a year by 2040.
Also known as a ‘sick note’, the certificates are provided when someone is deemed unfit to work after they have been off for more than seven days.
Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and GPs can all provide the notes, which inform an employer that the person is unable to carry out their job – or in some cases that adjustments should be made to support their return to the workplace.
But earlier this year hundreds of GPs confessed they had never denied a patient a mental health-related sick note.
Meanwhile, the Office for Budget Responsibility has forecast that spending on incapacity and disability benefit is set to rise by 49 per cent to £90.9 billion between 2023/24 and 2028/29.
The Policy Exchange think-tank has called on the Government to make referral mandatory for any individual signed off with a diagnosis of a mental or behavioural disorder for more than 14 days.
As of May last year, an estimated 2.5 million people in England were estimated to be living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to NHS analysis.
Of this number, an estimated 741,000 are children and young people aged five to 24.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects concentration, impulse control and activity levels. Common symptoms include restlessness, distractibility, forgetfulness, difficulty following instructions or managing time, and making impulsive decisions.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: ‘We have been clear the current fit note system needs reforming to work better for patients, employers and our health system.
‘We are already testing new approaches as part of our wider plan to get Britain working, but we know that we need to do more to build a system that works for everyone.’
