Rishi Sunak wants to cut the cost of ‘sicknote’ Britain. But we’ve found a strong economic case for benefits

• He instead wants to focus on “what people can do with the right support in place, rather than what they can’t do”.
• Taxpayers and recipients of sickness and disability benefits might feel like they’ve heard all this before.
• It is this trend that Rishi Sunak claims needs to be addressed, with mental health conditions a growing component of new disability benefit claims.
• Rather, we can point to a real economic case for government investment in infrastructure and day-to-day spending to keep people well and – where possible – working.

Changing attitudes

• The effect of this is that the old “strivers versus scroungers” argument simply doesn’t appeal as it once did.
• In the latest British Social Attitudes Survey, just 19% agreed that “most people who get social security don’t really deserve any help” – less than half the figure of 40% in 2005.
• We must create a system that enables people to build a productive life in their best health, wellbeing and economic interests.

Investing in people is good

• Rather, there is good evidence for implementing less conditional systems of welfare, which have no work disincentives, for economic, health, and wellbeing reasons.
• Something like basic income (a system of regular, fixed payments made to everyone in society) can provide the economic and financial stability to allow people to find sustainable employment.
• That might be the case had government funding for these services not failed to keep up with demand.
• We need to act now to create a better system – because the current one is benefiting very few of us.

Elliott Johnson is affiliated with the Common Sense Policy Group. Howard Reed is affiliated with the Common Sense Policy Group. Matthew T. Johnson is affiliated with the Common Sense Policy Group