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The wait for care and lack of flexible jobs prevents parents on disability benefits returning to work, not a 'sick note culture'

Most parents claiming disability benefit are too unwell to work or not receiving the treatment they need, new research suggests, refuting the idea that rising demand for incapacity benefits is being driven by a ‘sick note culture’.

Research by Action for Children reveals why parents on sickness benefits struggle to get back into work. With welfare spending on disabilities and sickness projected to reach £100bn by the end of the decade, the charity carried out a survey and in-depth interviews with parents in sickness (incapacity) benefits to better understand the pressures they face and the solutions to getting more of them back into paid employment.

Among parents who felt their health or disability didn’t rule out work completely in the future, Action for Children found the most common barriers to returning to paid employment included:

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