jobcentre (Image: Getty)
Approximately one-quarter of the working-age population in a major UK city is unable to work – and some of them say they know people who are “gaming” the
is rightly regarded as being one of Britain’s economic powerhouses. After London, it has the UK’s highest GDP which is used to measure the size and health of a country’s economy.
However, (ONS) data shows that around 101,000 working-age people – or 25.5% of the population aged 16 to 64 years in Manchester – were “economically inactive” in the year ending December 2023.
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Only London has a higher GDP than Manchester (Image: Getty)
The ONS explains: “People are classed as ‘economically inactive’ if they are not in employment but don’t meet the criteria for being ‘. This means they have not been seeking work within the previous four weeks or were unable to start work within the next two weeks.
“Common reasons include being retired, looking after the home or family or being temporarily or long-term sick and disabled. Economic inactivity in Manchester is higher than across the North West and Great Britain.”
Tackling and getting people back into work is a necessity if is to keep her vow not to raise taxes any further than she has already done.
The Chancellor has already upped taxes to the tune of £40 billion – and experts say she’ll need to freeze public spending and hope for economic growth if she’s to avoid raising taxes even higher.
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Rachel Reeves has already hiked taxes by £40 billion (Image: Getty)
While many of Manchester’s “economically inactive” residents have legitimate reasons for not working, some Mancunians – including those who receive disability benefits – believe many others are simply “gaming the system”.
Tracey Baxter, 54, is a former airport worker who has been diagnosed with heart and lung conditions, high blood pressure and blood cancer. She now relies on a mobility scooter to get around and receives a range of disability benefits – but says she knows people who are milking the system.
She told “I agree with the government trying to cut the number of people claiming benefits. Too many people are just gaming the system.”
Tracey said she knows people “who get a job for a few months” and then “claim they’re too sick to work, or work is too stressful.”
She said she has a relative who has done this for years – and simply takes a job “to get the benefits people off his back” before leaving again a few months later.
Tracey Baxter now needs a mobility scooter (Image: Getty)
Carl Adams, 42, agrees – even though he is claiming benefits after leaving his job at Primark in the city centre to look after his mother, who has cancer. He said the government should “provide more incentives to get people into work”.
The former shop worker believes people are getting out of work by self-diagnosing mental health problems. He said this as a “big problem”.
However, Kerry-Anne Moreland blames her local jobcentre. The 22-year-old, who has previously worked as cleaner, has been claiming benefits for nearly three years after she lost her job and then had a daughter.
She said she wants to work, but can’t find employment at the moment. She said: “The problem for me is the jobcentre. They keep on cancelling my appointments so I am struggling to get the help to find work.”