One in 10 Londoners unable to work in two boroughs in 2024, data reveals
The scale of London’s economic inactivity crisis has been laid bare, with fresh figures from the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) showing that more than 300,000 Londoners are now too sick to work.
A total of 305,107 people in the capital were economically inactive in 2024, with one in 10 residents in Tower Hamlets and Enfield unable to work due to short- or long-term illness. The figures highlight a growing crisis in workforce participation, raising concerns over the impact on the economy and public services.
Tower hamlets and Enfield see highest levels of economic inactivity
Analysis by The Standard shows that Tower Hamlets recorded the highest number of economically inactive Londoners, with 26,421 residents—10.6% of its population—unable to work due to illness.
Meanwhile, Enfield had 25,165 economically inactive residents, making up 10.8% of the borough’s population.
Other boroughs with significant levels of inactivity include:
- Hounslow – 13,170 residents (7% of the population)
- Barking and Dagenham – 12,136 residents (8% of the population)
These numbers reflect a wider national trend, with 3,027,429 people across the UK classified as economically inactive in 2024. The crisis has prompted concerns over the strain on welfare services and the NHS, as well as the broader economic consequences of a shrinking workforce.
Projections suggest that by 2030, nearly one in 12 people of working age in the UK could be classed as economically inactive due to illness—an alarming increase of 61% from 2019, when 2.25 million people were in this category.
Government announces welfare reforms amid growing crisis
The figures were released just hours after the Government unveiled major welfare reforms, aimed at cutting Britain’s welfare bill by £5 billion.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall defended the changes, arguing that it was “unsustainable” for one in 10 working-age people to be claiming sickness benefits.
Ms Kendall confirmed that Personal Independence Payments (PIP)—a key benefit for people with disabilities—would not be frozen or means-tested. However, she announced tighter eligibility criteria, sparking a backlash from opposition MPs, unions, and disability rights groups.
The number of people in England and Wales claiming sickness or disability benefits has surged from 2.8 million in 2019 to around 4 million today. This rise has pushed the welfare bill from £48 billion in 2023-24 to a projected £67 billion by 2029-30—a figure that would exceed the current schools budget.
A shifting demographic: Younger people making Up more claims
Data from the DWP shows a significant shift in who is claiming PIP.
Between 2020 and 2025, the proportion of under-30s claiming PIP rose from 14.5% to 16.4%, while those aged 30-44 increased from 18.8% to 20.9%.
By contrast, the proportion of claimants aged 45-59 has fallen, from 36.3% in 2020 to 30.1% in 2025. Meanwhile, the percentage of 60-74-year-olds receiving the benefit has remained largely unchanged at around 30.9%.
This shift suggests that mental health issues and long-term illnesses are increasingly affecting younger workers, reducing labour market participation and raising concerns over future workforce sustainability.
Political and public backlash over welfare cuts
The Government’s welfare reforms have sparked fierce criticism from opposition parties, charities, and disability rights groups.
Labour MP Diane Abbott was among those who condemned the plans, arguing that slashing benefits for disabled people was not “moral”.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Abbott said:
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“There is nothing moral about cutting benefits for what may be up to a million people. This is not about morality. This is about the Treasury balancing the country’s books on the backs of the most vulnerable.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faced tough questioning from Labour MPs, defending the reforms as necessary to bring more people back into work and reduce reliance on benefits.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said:
“I think one in eight young people not in employment, training or education—that’s a million young people—is a moral issue.”
“All the evidence suggests that someone in that situation, at that stage of their life, is going to find it incredibly difficult ever to get out of that level of dependency.”
“That cuts across the opportunity and aspiration at the core of Labour values. I am genuinely shocked that there are a million young people in that position, and I am not prepared to shrug my shoulders and walk past that.”
What happens next?
With the economic inactivity crisis deepening, the Government faces a difficult balancing act:
- Ensuring that those genuinely unable to work receive adequate support
- Encouraging more working-age people to return to employment
- Addressing the root causes of long-term sickness, including mental health, chronic illness, and access to healthcare
As welfare reform debates intensify, the coming months will prove crucial in determining whether these measures can tackle economic inactivity or simply add further strain to already vulnerable communities.
