Seven Policy Pillars

Health and Work: Welfare Reform and Private Provision

With 26% economic inactivity — 34% from long-term sickness — the city region has a welfare crisis that is also an economic crisis. The state has spent billions on this problem and it's getting worse. The answer isn't more public sector programmes — it's reforming the incentive structure so work always pays, commissioning private providers to deliver back-to-work support, and giving employers tax incentives to invest in occupational health. Every person moved from inactivity to employment adds ~£25,000 to GVA.