To be shocked that over half a million people under the age of 35 are out of work due to long-term sickness

[puncheur]

I had no idea. These numbers are extraordinary. 560k people between the ages of 16 and 34 economically inactive due to long term illness.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/dec/24/500000-under-35s-out-of-work-long-term-illness-uk?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

I'd love to know mor3 about these stats. I wonder if some of the people not working in, say the 1980s, were classed as unemployed and not long term ill.

I had two feckless brothers both of whom were long term unemployed and whilst they have both now got their acts together I suspect they might have chosen (yes I mean chosen!) to not work due to long term illness if they were young now.
I also wonder if there has been a big reduction in the numbers of job opportunities for people with mental health issues and physical disabilities.
Where I lived when I was a teen in the 1980s there used to be a farm that employed a lot of people who would otherwise have been unable to work. It was apparently very successful and won national awards for the work they did.
I don't know but I suspect that there are less opportunities like that these days.

I think that if we had a functional health system, this number could be reduced. I’m pointing out the obvious I know.

CAMHS were brilliant with my stepdaughter about twelve years ago, and she is now a teacher, but many youngsters have been failed.

I also wonder if there has been a big reduction in the numbers of job opportunities for people with mental health issues and physical disabilities.

Surely not, given so many entirely WFH jobs

The former. Apology for your presumption accepted.

The sample is almost double the age range of the comparison group

(19 years vs. 10 years)

Read the article. You’ll se that the numbers with muscular-skeletal problems are a very small minority.

WFH has surely opened up opportunities for people?

That's completely irrelevant, assuming the normal meaning of "as likely to".

I don’t think you can get long term sickness benefits on the basis of self-diagnosis.

You sound nice.

Doesn't make me wonder esp considering the shit show the NHS is. I do wonder how many of those would be able to work if they had access to medical care and treatment and support for MH conditions.

My daughter has non verbal autism. You're exactly the type of person who wouldn't realis or see it.

My own mother was diagnosed with MS at 30, so well over two decades ago.

I suspect that these figures aren't atypical, just that people were less likely to report it as it wasn't as encouraged at that time.

Fair point – I was reading it in the sense of ‘there are as many in x group as in y group’

I know people with ME and the effect it has had on them.
But people who haven't seen it don't understand it

Ooh ‘ark at you, you edgelord.

It’s over 4% of the cohort. I don’t think that the s a drop in the ocean.

I think it's only going to get worse with the CoL and AI. The world seems to have changed so fast in the last few years for the young.

In my extended network I know several youngsters unable to work. Two have FND and are dealing with unexplained fitting or loss of body control. One has POTS- she basically faints when she gets out of bed. All three use wheelchairs intermittently if they need to reliably get somewhere. They can walk in theory, but in practice can collapse at any point. That’s without taking time to think. Another has been hospitalised with an eating disorder. Oh and another who is tube fed and regularly hospitalised, a third who has an autoimmune disorder that flairs up and puts him in hospital. He’s trying to work, but has been let go for too much sickness.
Then of course those born with health conditions.

Young people aren’t immune to society’s ills.

I've been out of work since my teens and I have been badly affected by MH issues, so the stats don't surprise me really. I'm unclear how they've gathered the stats though - I would not necessarily have been counted in them (I am over 35 now so not relevant) because I was on benefits due to being a single parent, or carer (never ESA or the UC LCWRA) but I've been on PIP for years. I have always found the NHS very poor in its support for MH issues even 20 years ago.

My health is far better now but I'm unable to work for various reasons- in many ways it's made me feel less alone that it's an increasing number of people affected, because I've had so much ignorance shown towards me over the years and perhaps now more people have relatives or other loved ones who are affected and have a bit more awareness.

There is always the option of paying into an income protection/family benefit plan while still in good health. In the event you’re sadly too unwell to work, the policy will kick in and pay you roughly your salary.

Individuals should take more responsibility for their own living expenses, it shouldn’t fall automatically to the taxpayer to foot the bill when people are too unwell to work.

I wondered exactly the same thing.

Survival of the fittest, eh?
I suppose pensioners can just fuck off as well if they haven't saved up?
We should just walk by and ignore others?

Tis the season, eh?!

There isn't any point being a "low earner". You might just as well not bother to work at all.