Britain is a poorer, sicker place. No wonder disability claims have trebled in a decade

‘Do I think our country is three times sicker than it was a decade ago? The answer is no.’ Rishi Sunak at a PM Connect event in Accrington, Lancashire, 8 January 2024. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Any government would take fright at the astonishing rise in people on disability benefits. It began pre-pandemic, but really shot up afterwards. Rishi Sunak said this week that the number had tripled: “So do I think our country is three times sicker than it was a decade ago? The answer is no.” That is the great question. What if the answer is yes?

Today’s Office for National Statistics figures on life expectancy tell a miserable story: already stalling pre-pandemic, it has fallen to 2010 levels. “It’s not had the expected bounce back,” says the King’s Fund, “pointing to deeper problems with the health of the nation and the resilience of the healthcare system.”