How much does it cost the exchequer in disability benefits?
The exact cost of chronic pain is unknown. The cost of back pain to the exchequer is estimated to be in the region of £5billion per annum. There are many people with pain who are not able to work who are not covered by this or by allowances, such as those women who are not working but are maintained by their partner, or those who have taken early retirement on the grounds of ill health. The total cost of pain to the economy in terms of people removed from the workplace because of chronic pain is unknown. The only estimate is from the fact that 2.7 million people are on incapacity benefit, and this is probably an underestimation of the total number of people not working for the reasons described above.
