‘I’d love to go back to work’: UK’s missing workers on their budget expectations

Zeljana Schönauer, a dual British-Croatian national, flew to Croatia for medical attention. Photograph: Zeljana Schonauer,

When chancellor Jeremy Hunt urged people over 50 who have dropped out of the workforce since the pandemic to get off the golf course, Julie*, 52, from Hertfordshire, “laughed out loud”.

Julie has been waiting over a year for a knee replacement operation so she can get back into employment. She is one of many unable to work due to long-term illness who will be looking to the chancellor to provide much needed funding to tackle NHS waiting lists in his budget speech on Wednesday.