When people sidelined by long‑term illness or disability do manage to re-enter the labour force, they often end up in low‑paid, physically demanding jobs that aggravate their condition and force them out again, new research suggests.
A study by Timewise, a non-profit focused on improving job quality, examined Office for National Statistics (ONS) labour force data and concluded that only about 60,000 of the 2.4 million people classified as economically inactive due to ill health or disability rejoined employment each year.
Of those who do return, 54 percent lasted fewer than four months. The roles they landed in — typically labourers, factory hands, couriers, cleaners, care roles — are often physically intensive and ill-suited to people with health conditions.
Scale of the Problem
Economic inactivity due to long‑term sickness is rising. According to ONS experimental statistics, the number of working‑age people inactive because of ill health rose between 2019 and 2023, contributing to a record high in that measure. In April–June 2024, an estimated 2.8 million people were inactive for this reason.
It has added urgency to the question of how to reintegrate people who want to work but face health or disability constraints. In many cases, what’s available is not sustainable.
A related issue is that many disabled employees already in work are disproportionately represented in insecure, low‑paid roles. Analysis by the Work Foundation think tank at Lancaster University shows that disabled workers are more likely to be in precarious employment than non‑disabled peers, and many are stuck in the “low pay, no pay” cycle described in UK in‑work progression research.
“Pushing people into insecure, physical, inflexible work when they are already challenged by disability or mental health problems is futile. These jobs don’t work and they don’t last,” Timewise chief executive Clare McNeil was quoted in The Times as saying.
Why Unsuitable Roles Persist
Experts say a number of factors converge to drive people into unsuitable work:
Lack of flexible or accommodation-ready roles: Research into flexible work models recommends “Flex Plus” roles combining part-time hours, flexible scheduling and home working. But many jobs remain rigid or inflexible, putting those with fluctuating capacity at a disadvantage.
Job quality oversight: Timewise argues that some roles are deliberately low in quality — long hours, heavy lifting, no adaptation — which will inevitably exclude people with health constraints.
Barriers retaining workers: Organisations often lack systems for ongoing adjustments, support or phased returns. According to disability advocacy groups, disabled workers leave jobs at twice the rate of non‑disabled peers.
Unequal access to flexibility: For many roles, particularly in manufacturing or care, flexible working, remote options or shift choice remain rare. The Timewise Flexible Jobs Index found only 31 percent of job adverts offered flexible working in 2023.
Cost to People and Economy
The short tenures in unsuitable roles take a personal toll: lost earnings, deteriorating health, repeated transitions and eroded confidence. Official figures for 2022 put the cost of working-age ill health and disability preventing work at some £56 billion in lost output, after accounting for sickness absence and lost productivity.
To make work accessible and sustainable for those with health challenges, experts say bold steps are needed from government, employers and labour market institutions, including:
Job design reform
Roles should be designed with flexibility and adaptability in mind from the outset — light duties, adjustable hours, task rotation, remote options — rather than expecting the worker to adapt. Government regulation could enforce minimum standards for job quality in sectors prone to poor practices.
Incentives for retention, not just hiring
Timewise proposes rewarding employers with taxpayer-funded grants when they hire economically inactive individuals and retain them. Employers meeting retention thresholds could qualify, shifting the mindset from “placing someone” to supporting someone to stay.
Strengthening return‑to-work pathways
Phased returns, on‑the‑job supports, mentoring, health‑aligned roles and continuous adjustment mechanisms are essential to ensure talent is not pushed back out immediately.
Expanding flexible and part‑time roles
Given that many disabled workers require fewer hours or variable scheduling, more high‑quality part‑time and flexible roles must be available.
Boosting institutional oversight and data
Government should invest in better tracking and transparency of how many of the economically inactive successfully enter sustainable roles, and in which sectors they succeed or fail—closing blind spots in labour market support.
Raising employer awareness and obligations
Training for leadership on disability inclusion, enforcing reasonable adjustments and holding employers accountable, perhaps via regulation or tax incentives, are key to changing culture.