The Department for Work and Pensions has published its Keep Britain Working Final Report, one of the most significant cross-government examinations of workforce health, participation and productivity in over a decade. Haines Global Pensions (HGP) welcomes this report and its ambition to strengthen employee support systems, improve early intervention and help more people move towards healthy, productive working lives.
Our work internationally shows why this matters. As highlighted in our recent presentation to the International Employee Benefits Association (IEBA) Denmark Webinar, mental-health and musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are the two biggest drivers of ill-health retirement across Europe, with wide-ranging consequences for employment, pensions and household financial resilience.
In defined benefit schemes this increases liabilities; in defined contribution schemes it removes years of saving and accelerates early drawdown. Among Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs), income-replacement benefits often end long before pension age. In the UK, almost half of ill-health retirements in some schemes are MSK-related, and long-term sickness rates peak among workers aged 55–64 – precisely when retirement saving should be at its strongest.
These themes were central to our IEBA contribution, where we also drew on evidence from Denmark, the Netherlands and Northern Ireland to show how earlier, coordinated intervention can reduce disability claims, improve later-life outcomes and support more sustainable retirement systems. Many European pension funds already invest in “work-ability” programmes that link workplace health directly to pension adequacy – a model with strong relevance for the UK’s evolving policy landscape.
We have also contributed to wider industry discussions, including a Pensions Age article exploring how KBW could reshape employer responsibilities, pension scheme governance and the role of prevention in retirement planning.
Following publication of the Keep Britain Working Review, Haines Global Pensions produced a short client briefing outlining practical steps for employers: improving early-intervention pathways; strengthening collaboration between HR, occupational health and pension providers; and embedding prevention tools – especially for MSK and mental-health risks – across both workplace and retirement-planning strategies. These priorities closely align with the Keep Britain Working recommendations, including the proposed Healthy Working Lifecycle Standard, a national workplace health marketplace and a new Workplace Health Intelligence Unit.
Haines Global Pensions is also delighted to be participating in the Vanguard phase of KBW implementation, co-chaired by Sir Charlie Mayfield alongside the Secretaries of State for Work & Pensions, Business & Trade and Health & Social Care. Kick-off calls for employers and providers begin in mid-December, and we look forward to contributing insights on prevention, pensions and international practice.
The Keep Britain Working Review represents a unique opportunity to align workplace health, pension outcomes and long-term economic resilience. We look forward to working with employers, providers and policymakers to help turn these recommendations into meaningful and measurable action.
Contact us for more information or to receive a copy of our briefing.