Jacob Rees-Mogg clashes with host on civil service jobs
Taxpayers should be “alarmed” by the 1.8 million days lost to long-term sick leave by the civil service in 2022, MPs have warned.
The number of days lost to long-term sick leave in the civil service has risen by a third in the past four years, fresh figures discovered through a parliamentary question by the Liberal Democrats found.
Civil service staff lost 1.86 million days lost to long-term sick leave in 2022, up from 1.39 million in 2018.
Tory MP Greg Smith said: “These are very concerning figures that should alarm taxpayers and Ministers alike.
Stay up-to-date with the latest Politics news Join us on WhatsApp Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
“Of course people with genuine long term sickness need the time to recover, but there seems no rational explanation for the substantive rise in long term sickness among the civil service compared to other parts of the public sector and private sector.
“This definitely needs looking into.”
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) lost 596,420 days to long-term sick leave, more than any other department.
This was followed by the Department of Work and Pensions which lost 383,320 days to long-term sick leave, followed by HM Revenue and Customs at 243,040 and the Ministry of Defence at 149,690.
Trending
Former Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said: "The high levels of sickness in the public sector are a cause of concern.
“It seems unlikely that public servants are much less healthy than those in the private sector so there is probably a degree of malingering."
The MoJ also had the highest overall rate of long-term sick leave compared to the size of the department, with 7.4 days lost per staff year.
This was followed by the Scottish Government (5.9 days per staff year) and Department for Transport (5.9 days per staff year).
Become an Express Premium member Support fearless journalism Read The Daily Express online, advert free Get super-fast page loading
Start 30-day
FREE trial
The Department Culture Media and Sport had the lowest rate of long-term sickness with just 1.4 days lost per staff year, five times less than the MoJ.
Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office Spokeswoman Christine Jardine said: "These figures are deeply concerning and show there is a growing long-term sickness crisis at the heart of government.
“Ministers need to look into why civil servants are losing so many days to long-term sick leave and whether they are receiving the support they need.
“Conservative ministers need to do more to tackle soaring rates of long-term sick leave in their own departments and across the country.”
The number of Britons off work because of long-term sickness has reached record levels, figures from last year showed.
More than 2.5 million people were not working because of health problems, statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) from May showed.
There has been an increase in people suffering from post viral fatigue, which could be reflecting the impact of long Covid on the population.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Slippery Starmer still committed to ‘farcical eco plan' - Richard Holden
33 Comments
Hiking state pension age to 71 is ‘poison' but we might just have to swallow it
69 Comments
Millions warned of five common mistakes people unknowingly make with tax returns
Comments
Fury as cash-strapped Labour council hitting UK city with 'terrible' council tax hike plan
153 Comments
DWP state pension warning that minimum age will rise in change branded 'alarming'
76 Comments
'Significant' pension reforms could boost pots by ￡81,000 for thousands of people
Comments
State pension backpayment update as letters sent to women owed ￡5,000
1 Comments
Rishi Sunak issues warning over Labour as Brits urged not to fall for Keir Starmer's 'con'
480 Comments
Keir Starmer officially ditches Labour's flagship ￡28bn policy in humiliating U-turn
551 Comments
Private tenants ‘face big rent rises and mass evictions' from April
20 Comments
800,000 missing out on tax-free DWP benefit worth up to ￡3,900 a year - can you claim?
8 Comments
DWP should let people 'borrow' money from their pension pot, says think tank
5 Comments
State pension HMRC tax warning as huge new change to hit 900,000 within months
505 Comments
Keir Starmer's 15 biggest U-turns - from ￡28bn green pledge to Brexit and Lords reform
266 Comments
Work-shy Britons will ruin the economy, says Nick Ferrari
127 Comments
Desperate firms recruit more foreigners as Brits too ill to take a job
423 Comments
The Tories risk leaving Labour with no money left after the election
120 Comments
Rishi Sunak makes bold tax cut pledge as he's 'totally up for the fight'
207 Comments
Full list of DWP cost of living eligibility as final ￡299 payments start today
2 Comments
WASPI women could be guaranteed compensation with payouts of ￡10k or more under new bill
56 Comments
Slippery Starmer still committed to ‘farcical eco plan' - Richard Holden
33 Comments
Hiking state pension age to 71 is ‘poison' but we might just have to swallow it
69 Comments
Millions warned of five common mistakes people unknowingly make with tax returns
Comments
Fury as cash-strapped Labour council hitting UK city with 'terrible' council tax hike plan
153 Comments
DWP state pension warning that minimum age will rise in change branded 'alarming'
76 Comments
'Significant' pension reforms could boost pots by ￡81,000 for thousands of people
Comments
State pension backpayment update as letters sent to women owed ￡5,000
1 Comments
Rishi Sunak issues warning over Labour as Brits urged not to fall for Keir Starmer's 'con'
480 Comments
Keir Starmer officially ditches Labour's flagship ￡28bn policy in humiliating U-turn
551 Comments
Private tenants ‘face big rent rises and mass evictions' from April
20 Comments
800,000 missing out on tax-free DWP benefit worth up to ￡3,900 a year - can you claim?
8 Comments
DWP should let people 'borrow' money from their pension pot, says think tank
5 Comments
State pension HMRC tax warning as huge new change to hit 900,000 within months
505 Comments
Keir Starmer's 15 biggest U-turns - from ￡28bn green pledge to Brexit and Lords reform
266 Comments
Work-shy Britons will ruin the economy, says Nick Ferrari
127 Comments
Desperate firms recruit more foreigners as Brits too ill to take a job
423 Comments
The Tories risk leaving Labour with no money left after the election
120 Comments
Rishi Sunak makes bold tax cut pledge as he's 'totally up for the fight'
207 Comments
Full list of DWP cost of living eligibility as final ￡299 payments start today
2 Comments
WASPI women could be guaranteed compensation with payouts of ￡10k or more under new bill
56 Comments
Slippery Starmer still committed to ‘farcical eco plan' - Richard Holden
33 Comments
Hiking state pension age to 71 is ‘poison' but we might just have to swallow it
69 Comments
Millions warned of five common mistakes people unknowingly make with tax returns
Comments
Fury as cash-strapped Labour council hitting UK city with 'terrible' council tax hike plan
153 Comments
DWP state pension warning that minimum age will rise in change branded 'alarming'
76 Comments
'Significant' pension reforms could boost pots by ￡81,000 for thousands of people
Comments
State pension backpayment update as letters sent to women owed ￡5,000
1 Comments
The rise in back and neck problems could be due to home working, the ONS added.
A Government spokesman said: "We expect sick leave to be managed with common sense. Steps are in place for employees to return to work as quickly as possible following absence due to ill health.”
Related articles Lord Frost fires back at civil servant's Brexit swipe during Covid inquiry Rees-Mogg welcomes move to order desk-shy civil servants back to office Minister: Russian spies are ‘behind sustained effort to interfere in democracy’ Esther McVey warns ‘woke’ civil service not to waste taxpayer cash SNP under fire as civil servants allowed to work from abroad for 28 days a year