Long Covid costing UK workers up to £1.5bn yearly in lost income, says IFS
Long Covid is costing the UK up to £1.5bn a year in lost earnings, researchers say, after the number of people suffering persistent symptoms of the virus doubled over the last 12 months.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said the impact of a rise in long Covid cases from 1 to 2 million showed it was likely to be “a significant part of the pandemic’s legacy”.
Using data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the IFS said about 110,000 of the 2 million sufferers – who must report symptoms for at least three months – were signed off sick, with the loss 4.4m working hours a week.
On average, those who stop work because of long Covid would be losing £1,100 a month in earnings, adding up to a total loss of income of almost £1.5bn a year, though employers that pay to cover sick leave would pick up some of the tab.
Tom Wernham, a research economist at the IFS and an author of the report, said it was clear from the study that “for a significant minority of long Covid sufferers, the condition has severe effects not only on their health but on their ability to do paid work”.
He said the impact would be felt most by low-income families and workers with pre-existing health problems that made them vulnerable to the virus.
“Compared to those without long Covid, those who are suffering from the condition were, pre-pandemic, more likely to be claiming benefits (41% versus 28%), be in poverty (25% versus 19%) and live in social housing (25% versus 17%),” the report said.
“While previous research has shown that women, those with pre-existing medical conditions and those in poorer parts of the country were more likely to be hit, this is the first evidence showing that long Covid is more prevalent among deprived individuals,” it added.
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