More than 500,000 under-35s in UK out of work due to long-term illness

Experts link 44% increase in four years to a growing mental health crisis and underinvestment in health services

• Ill young people tell why work is not an option

More than half a million young people in the UK say they are out of work due to long-term illness, a 44% increase in just four years.

Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that more than 560,000 people aged between 16 and 34 were economically inactive - meaning they were not in work or seeking work - in the first three months of 2023 due to long-term sickness.