Keir Starmer has said he believes that people claiming long-term sickness benefits should be expected to look for work.

He added that there would be “hard cases” and that the government and businesses should help those who may feel anxious about re-entering the workplace, but that the “basic proposition that you should look for work is right”.

The prime minister was speaking to the BBC’s Today programme, following his party conference speech in which he said he wanted to “level” with the country about the “trade-offs” people would face.

He told Labour activists: “If we want to maintain support for the welfare state, then we will legislate to stop benefit fraud, do everything we can to tackle worklessness.”T

Following the speech, he was asked in an interview with the Today programme if he agreed with the proposition that virtually no-one should claim benefits without trying to get back to work.

“The basic proposition that you should look for work is right,” he replied.

“People need to look for work, but they also need support.

“That’s why I’ve gone out to look at schemes where businesses are supporting people back into work from long-term sickness.

“Quite often, I think what lies behind this is a fear for someone who’s been on long term sickness that – ‘can they get back into the workplace? Are they going to be able to cope? Is it all going to go hopelessly wrong?'”

The inactivity rate – the number of people out of work and not looking for a job – surged during the Covid pandemic and has since remained at a persistently high level.

Nearly 3 million people are out of work due to ill health, a 500,000 increase on 2019.

The Office for Budget Responsibility says the cost of sickness and disability benefits will increase by £30bn in the next five years.

Following Sir Keir’s conference speech, Labour announced that doctors, expert in speeding up operations, would be sent to areas with the highest number of people out of work due to ill health.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting set out the measure to Labour activists on the last day of the conference in Liverpool.

He said “the best of the NHS” would help “get sick Brits back to health and back to work”.