MoneyDepartment for Work and PensionsThe proposed shake-up aims to reduce the number of benefit claimants signed off work10:49, 21 May 2026Updated 10:51, 21 May 2026A new sick note regulation is being rolled out in England as the nation's welfare bill hits eight million benefit claimants. Sick notes will be ditched for many in an effort to get Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) claimants back into employment.‌GP practices and surgeries will scrap "sick notes" as part of a new government trial, following the issuing of more than 11 million "fit notes" last year. The proposed shake-up aims to reduce the number of benefit claimants signed off work due to ill health.‌These areas will test the following models from July:‌Birmingham and Solihull - GPs issue the first fit note where needed, with all patients referred to a new support service led primarily by non-clinical staff, including social prescribers and work and health coachesCoventry and Warwickshire - GPs issue the first fit note, with patients able to be referred to a support service made up of both clinical and non-clinical staffCornwall and the Isles of Scilly - GPs refer patients directly to a non-clinical support service, without issuing a fit noteLancashire and South Cumbria - GPs refer patients to a support service made up of both clinical and non-clinical staff, without issuing a fit note.Rather than receiving sick notes from their doctors, the new pilot scheme will direct struggling workers to surgery-based "social prescribers." This includes alternatives such as exercise programmes and career coaching to help keep them in work, according to the Times newspaper. The government will also deploy its WorkWell coaching scheme - available to DWP claimants - to assist those issued with fit notes, the newspaper adds, reports Birmingham Live.‌Minister of State for Care Stephen Kinnock said: "Ever since I was appointed Minister of State for Care in July 2024, NHS staff have been telling me that the current fit note system isn’t working – not for patients, and not for the clinicians who sign them off. These pilots mark the beginning of the end for that broken system, giving people personalised support to get back into work and freeing up GPs from unnecessary admin so they can focus on what they do best: caring for their patients."Under the sweeping reforms, GPs are also set to refer patients to the gym, in changes previously highlighted by Birmingham Live. Sir Charlie Mayfield, chairman of John Lewis, stated that the fit-note system was "not working as intended".Article continues belowSir Charlie, brought on board by the government, recommended reform in an official review of out-of-work sickness last year. WorkWell is a health and employment support service delivering integrated, holistic early assistance for individuals facing health-related obstacles to work.The government website states that WorkWell is targeted at anyone with a disability or health condition who is employed or who could enter employment with appropriate support.The reform is part of Labour's Plan for Change, as the government shifts from a system that "manages sickness to one that promotes health, work and prosperity", he said. This follows a broader £64 million WorkWell scheme launched by the government in October last year.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Department for Work and PensionsFitnessPoliticsDisabilityHealth