Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has had discussions with the National Statistics Authority on the use of the term bad nerves as a reason for (a) economic inactivity and (b) long term sickness absence.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Statistical definitions and data collection are the responsibility of the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS). The Department has an ongoing relationship with the ONS however there has been no discussion on the use of the term ‘bad nerves.’
As part of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) people, both in and out of work, are asked about any long-term health conditions they may have. The term ‘bad nerves’ is used as part of the option ‘depression, bad nerves and anxiety.’
The LFS only asks people for their main reason for economic inactivity. This can include long term sickness, but they are not asked which specific health condition this relates to. Therefore, the LFS does not capture if any health condition is the reason for economic inactivity or long-term sickness. There are often complex and interacting factors related to someone being economically inactive.
The LFS is currently undergoing a transformation with latest update from the ONS showing that the option for ‘depression, bad nerves and anxiety’ will be removed in favour of the following questions on mental health - ‘Do you have any of the following? Depression or anxiety’ and ‘Do you have any of the following? Mental illness, phobias, panics or other nervous disorders.’.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what clinical definition of anxiety his Department uses.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Department does not use a specific clinical definition of anxiety as Work Capability Assessments and Personal Independence Payment assessments are functional assessments that focus on the impacts of a person’s health condition or disability on their daily life, rather than the diagnosis itself.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to encourage people with (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety to self manage their conditions by engaging with work.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Good work is generally good for health. The Government therefore has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including depression, bad nerves and anxiety, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.
Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. Initiatives include:
Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what steps his Department takes to work with the Department of Health and Social Care on clinically recognised approaches to treating (a) bad nerves and (b) anxiety to design appropriate work-related interventions to tackle rates of long term sickness.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Government has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including anxiety, bad nerves and depression, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.
Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Initiatives include:
Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what guidance his Department provides to employers to help them manage employees who report (a) bad nerves, (b) depression and (c) anxiety to stay in work.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Government has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including anxiety, bad nerves and depression, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.
Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Initiatives include:
Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what the prevalence is of (a) bad nerves and (b) anxiety in people aged between 16 and 64 who have been economically inactive because of long term health conditions since (i) 2010 and (ii) 2000.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
“Depression, bad nerves or anxiety” is a pre-specified single category in the Labour Force Survey questionnaire. We are therefore unable to separate out depression, bad nerves and anxiety from each other.
As such, we have provided a breakdown of working-age people (16-64) self-reporting depression, bad nerves or anxiety as a main or secondary health condition who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness from 2013 to 2023, published in The Employment of Disabled People 2023 (Table EIA017).
Prevalence of depression, bad nerves or anxiety for those who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness, 2013-2023
Quarter | Number of people who are economically inactive because they are long-term sick (thousands) | Number of people who are economically inactive because they are long-term sick with depression, bad nerves or anxiety (thousands) |
Apr 13 to Jun 13 | 2,071 | 908 |
Apr 14 to Jun 14 | 1,999 | 908 |
Apr 15 to Jun 15 | 2,092 | 992 |
Apr 16 to Jun 16 | 2,048 | 1,000 |
Apr 17 to Jun 17 | 1,986 | 976 |
Apr 18 to Jun 18 | 2,046 | 980 |
Apr 19 to Jun 19 | 2,039 | 1,034 |
Apr 20 to Jun 20 | 2,133 | 1,143 |
Apr 21 to Jun 21 | 2,192 | 1,149 |
Apr 22 to Jun 22 | 2,394 | 1,256 |
Apr 23 to Jun 23 | 2,582 | 1,361 |
Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS) quarterly person data
Note this is unpublished data from our own analysis of ONS Labour Force Survey data and that the ONS release compared Jan-Mar 2019 to Jan-Mar 2023 data.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what interventions have proved effective at helping people with (a) anxiety and (b) bad nerves into work.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Government has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including anxiety, bad nerves and depression, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.
Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Initiatives include:
Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, whether performance differs in helping people to re-engage with work who report (a) anxiety and (b) bad nerves as a (i) primary and (ii) secondary condition.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
On average between 2014 and 2022, disabled people who reported depression, bad nerves or anxiety as their main long-term health condition were more likely to move into work than those that reported it as a main or secondary condition – 14.8% of those not in work the previous year for main condition compared to 9.5% for main or secondary condition. To note, the way the survey data is structured means we are unable to look at labour market impacts for those with conditions listed only as a secondary condition.
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) assesses an individual against a set of descriptors to determine how their health condition(s) or disability affects their ability to work. A key principle is that the WCA considers the impact that a person’s disability or health condition has on them, not the condition itself. Therefore, whether the condition is primary or secondary is not relevant to the WCA outcome.
The WCA outcome will determine what work-related requirements, if any, are appropriate.
Those with particular health conditions, regardless of whether they are listed as primary or secondary conditions, may be found in any labour market regime as people’s conditions can impact their ability to work or engage in work related activity in different ways. This varies from claimants experiencing the most severe impacts from their health condition who are placed in the No Work Related Requirement group and cannot be subject to any work-related requirements, to claimants with health conditions but who are nonetheless fit for work who may set up to 35 hours of work search a week. Where claimants are in a group where conditionality is set, conditionality is agreed between the WC and the claimant and always tailored to someone’s circumstances. A work coach will consider the circumstances of the person in front of them when setting requirements and referring them to specific provision or policy interventions, regardless of whether a condition is listed as a ‘primary’ or ‘secondary’ condition.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, whether (a) policy interventions for and (b) other approaches to (i) bad nerves and (ii) anxiety are different for people reporting it as a (A) primary and (B) secondary condition.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
On average between 2014 and 2022, disabled people who reported depression, bad nerves or anxiety as their main long-term health condition were more likely to move into work than those that reported it as a main or secondary condition – 14.8% of those not in work the previous year for main condition compared to 9.5% for main or secondary condition. To note, the way the survey data is structured means we are unable to look at labour market impacts for those with conditions listed only as a secondary condition.
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) assesses an individual against a set of descriptors to determine how their health condition(s) or disability affects their ability to work. A key principle is that the WCA considers the impact that a person’s disability or health condition has on them, not the condition itself. Therefore, whether the condition is primary or secondary is not relevant to the WCA outcome.
The WCA outcome will determine what work-related requirements, if any, are appropriate.
Those with particular health conditions, regardless of whether they are listed as primary or secondary conditions, may be found in any labour market regime as people’s conditions can impact their ability to work or engage in work related activity in different ways. This varies from claimants experiencing the most severe impacts from their health condition who are placed in the No Work Related Requirement group and cannot be subject to any work-related requirements, to claimants with health conditions but who are nonetheless fit for work who may set up to 35 hours of work search a week. Where claimants are in a group where conditionality is set, conditionality is agreed between the WC and the claimant and always tailored to someone’s circumstances. A work coach will consider the circumstances of the person in front of them when setting requirements and referring them to specific provision or policy interventions, regardless of whether a condition is listed as a ‘primary’ or ‘secondary’ condition.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what the prevalence of (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety is for each age cohort of (i) men and (ii) and for people (A) in work and (B) who are long term sick.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
“Depression, bad nerves or anxiety” is a pre-specified single category in the Labour Force Survey questionnaire. We are therefore unable to separate out depression, bad nerves and anxiety from each other.
As such, we have provided a breakdown of working-age people (16-64) self-reporting depression, bad nerves or anxiety as a main or secondary health condition by age and sex for those (A) in work and (B) economically inactive due to long-term sickness, for the most recent quarter of data available. Note this is unpublished data.
Prevalence of depression, bad nerves or anxiety by age and sex, for those in work and those who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness, April-June 2023 (unpublished)
| In work | Economically inactive due to long-term sickness | ||||
| Total | Male | Female | Total | Male | Female |
Total | 2,682,183 | 1,026,235 | 1,655,948 | 1,360,720 | 566,368 | 794,352 |
16 to 24 | 317,861 | 108,056 | 209,805 | 106,622 | 48,054 | 58,568 |
25 to 34 | 801,357 | 306,992 | 494,365 | 206,336 | 94,522 | 111,814 |
35 to 49 | 895,129 | 333,752 | 561,377 | 328,877 | 133,968 | 194,909 |
50 to 64 | 667,836 | 277,435 | 390,401 | 718,885 | 289,824 | 429,061 |
Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS) quarterly person data
Note this is unpublished data from our own analysis of ONS Labour Force Survey data and that the ONS release compared Jan-Mar 2019 to Jan-Mar 2023 data.