Select Committee · Economic Affairs Committee
Economic inactivity: welfare and long-term sickness
Status: Closed
Opened: 24 Oct 2024
Closed: 28 Apr 2025
Inquiry scope
The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee is launching an inquiry into the relationship between the welfare system and long-term sickness in Great Britain, as a follow up to its 2022 inquiry into economic inactivity. Rates of economic inactivity – measured as a proportion of people of working age – fell steadily from 2012, reaching an all-time low of 20.7 per cent in early 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic saw a sudden and dramatic reversal of this trend with rates of long-term sickness becoming an increasingly important factor as the pandemic wore on. The Committee is seeking to understand the impact, if any, that changes in the benefits system have had on trends in long-term sickness and inactivity. The Committee will hear views on what is being done in this area, and what should be done, to mitigate elevated levels of long-term sickness-related inactivity and the associated rising costs of welfare.Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Dec 2024 | Alison McGovern MP · Department for Work and Pensions, Shaun Butcher · Department for Work and Pensions, Tom Younger · Department for Work and Pensions | View ↗ |
| 26 Nov 2024 | Huw Pill · Bank of England | View ↗ |
| 19 Nov 2024 | Professor Ben Geiger · King’s College London, Professor Jonathan Portes · King’s College London | View ↗ |
| 12 Nov 2024 | Dr Sean Phillips · Policy Exchange, Edward Davies · Centre for Social Justice, Louise Murphy · Resolution Foundation | View ↗ |
| 5 Nov 2024 | Professor David Miles CBE · Office for Budget Responsibility, Richard Hughes · Office for Budget Responsibility, Tom Josephs · Office for Budget Responsibility | View ↗ |
| 29 Oct 2024 | Eduin Latimer · Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), Tom Waters · Institute for Fiscal Studies | View ↗ |
Who gave evidence
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| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Alison McGovern MP · Minister for Employment | Department for Work and Pensions | 1 |
| Dr Sean Phillips · Head of Health and Social Care | Policy Exchange | 1 |
| Eduin Latimer · Research Economist | Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) | 1 |
| Edward Davies · Director of Policy | Centre for Social Justice | 1 |
| Huw Pill · Chief Economist | Bank of England | 1 |
| Louise Murphy · Senior Economist | Resolution Foundation | 1 |
| Professor Ben Geiger · Professor in Social Science and Health | King’s College London | 1 |
| Professor David Miles CBE · Member, Budget Responsibility Committee | Office for Budget Responsibility | 1 |
| Professor Jonathan Portes · Professor of Economics and Public Policy | King’s College London | 1 |
| Richard Hughes · Chair | Office for Budget Responsibility | 1 |
| Shaun Butcher · Deputy Director, Disability Lead Analyst | Department for Work and Pensions | 1 |
| Tom Josephs · Member, Budget Responsibility Committee | Office for Budget Responsibility | 1 |
| Tom Waters · Senior Research Economist | Institute for Fiscal Studies | 1 |
| Tom Younger · Deputy Director, Labour Market Analysis Division | Department for Work and Pensions | 1 |
Correspondence
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Meetings & visits
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| Date | Type | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan 2025 | Formal meeting (private meeting) | — · Room 4, Palace of Westminster | |
| 7 Jan 2025 | Formal meeting (private meeting) | — · Room 4, Palace of Westminster | |
| 7 Jan 2025 | Formal meeting (private meeting) | — · To be confirmed | |
| 10 Dec 2024 | Formal meeting (private meeting) | — · Room 2, Palace of Westminster |