Britain’s “sick note culture” is driving up the cost of health insurance for millions, experts have warned. Anxiety and depression – the most common conditions suffered by those who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness – now make up 53pc of those off work, the equivalent of 1.53 million workers. Claims for mental health on corporate insurance schemes surged by a third last year, with the average payout rising 68pc between 2022 and 2023 as patients required more “complicated” care, analysis by consultancy Broadstone found. Insurer Vitality said there had been around a 200pc increase in people claiming for talking therapies. Brett Hill, head of health and protection at the consultancy firm, said insurers are seeing a sharp rise in the cost of claims, which is driving premiums. “Medical insurers are now seeing an average of 30pc of insured members claiming every year, up from 25pc only a few years ago. “Inflation in claims costs paid by insurers was close to 20pc by the end of 2023, and we are now seeing this reflected in premium increases for many customers,” Mr Hill added. “With NHS backlogs likely to remain high for some time, we might expect to see premium...