House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement
Government response to Keep Britain Working Review
05 November 2025 · Department for Work and Pensions
Proposed by Pat McFadden Lab Wolverhampton South East
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
At a glance
Key points
- Government is launching a Vanguard phase to test workplace approaches for addressing economic inactivity due to ill-health.
- Sir Charlie Mayfield will co-chair a taskforce with secretaries of state to implement reforms.
- Further reforms to the fit note system and Access to Work scheme are planned.
Issue summary
The statement addresses the Keep Britain Working Review's findings on economic inactivity due to ill-health and proposes a shift towards a shared responsibility model between employers, employees, and health services.
Action requested
The government is launching a Vanguard phase with Sir Charlie Mayfield co-chairing a taskforce alongside secretaries of state to test workplace approaches and set up a Workplace Health Intelligence Unit. Further reforms to the fit note system and Access to Work scheme are also planned.
Key facts
- Ill-health drives economic inactivity, with 800,000 more people out of work now than in 2019 due to health problems.
- A further 600,000 people set to leave the workforce by 2030 if current trends continue.
- Sir Charlie Mayfield will co-chair a Vanguard taskforce with secretaries of state.
- The Workplace Health Intelligence Unit will provide data and insight for businesses and government.