To think part of the increase in long term sickness is the increase in retirement age?

[Lazykitten]

Thinking of the people I know who are long term economically inactive long term (I believe that counted as over 6 months) and nearly all I know who fall into that bracket are my parents and there friends. Dad was a factory sparky and mum was a cleaner. Dad stopped work at i think around 61, mum does part time caring now in her early 60s but really struggles and I can see her having to give it up soon.

Most of their friends had similar manual jobs and now in their mid 60s a lot are signed off sick waiting for pension. These are people who have had manual jobs since they were 15/16 and their bodies are knackered. They can't (and very little point) in retraining now for their last couple of years before they get the state pension.

I work in an office job so can feasibly see how I could work to my late 60s and beyond, but those who've done manual work for over 40 years have the wear and tear on their bodies that they simply can't. As well as other health problems & decreasing energy levels that come with ageing.

There's got to be a sizeable number of folk age 60-67 that fall in that bracket? And taking it further is it another stick to beat the working class with?

I no longer believe that it is a matter of willingness. Have just had a PA resign couldn’t do the job. She lied to get the job saying she could do it, but the woman couldn’t even understand the date stamp on an email. She tried really hard, and was so willing to try she worked for two months in the job. She realised I was going to have to sack her at the end of probation. It was more from pity that I decided to let her ride it out because who knows what sanctions she was avoiding by showing willingness to do a job she literally is incapable of.

Also have several cleaners on staff that struggle with mental health and it is just not working. Yesterday four in seven called off…my company cannot afford to hire more than a token few workers with fluctuating health conditions. If one in seven had a mental health disability, could reasonably accommodate them. But the idea that we can fill all our vacant low skill jobs with the long term sick is not realistic.

the idea that we can fill all our vacant low skill jobs with the long term sick is not realistic.

Also there's not even enough job vacancies for everyone on job seekers, before including everyone on sickness benefits.

The other thing is that the low paid jobs won't cut the benefits bill because these are jobs where people need to claim benefits as well as working due to the high cost of living. Nearly half of people on benefits are working.

Could you not have trained the PA?
She sounded like she was really trying hard, if she could learn the skills she needed she could have been really good.

She had training the entire time.