Mental health driving UK inactivity

A quarter of working‑age Britons are out of work, with sickness and mental health now the leading causes of economic inactivity. Disability benefits (PIP) recipients more than doubled since 2019, and a growing share of claims cite depression, anxiety, autism, or ADHD. Once out of work for health reasons, only about 4% return within a year. — This reframes the UK’s labor‑shortage and welfare debates around a mental‑health‑led exit from work and the design of benefits, healthcare, and return‑to‑work supports.