Incapacity benefit

Dear Editor

It is no surprise that the Department for Work and Pensions is failing to tackle claims for incapacity benefit (November 19). These claims are the tip of an iceberg created by the failure to address the epidemic of long-term chronic conditions such as obesity, back pain, stress and depression. 

Rather than the urgent threats to life posed by the diseases of the past, the major health challenge today is chronic illness and its relentless undermining of quality of life for millions of sufferers and their families. Such conditions account for 80% of GP consultations and the majority of NHS spending as well as undermining productivity across all sectors.

The increasing list of complaints used by claimants should serve as a warning that chronic conditions require a concerted and joined up approach across government, employers and the health sector to help people manage their conditions and return to the workforce. Of course there is no magic bullet, but public health education focusing on nutrition, exercise and resources to manage low-level stress, depression and anxiety must be at the heart of the fightback against chronic illness.

Poor health of this type is a direct consequence of our lifestyles and how we interact with our environments. The state of our health reflects the food we eat, the exercise we take, the water we drink, the air we breathe and the quality of our housing and sanitation – it even extends to our social circumstances and sense of purpose. Building this perspective into how we deal with chronic illness is the starting point for changing millions of people’s lives and recouping millions lost to the economy every year.

Yours faithfully,

Kim Lavely

Chief Executive, The Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health