People risk concerns drive benefits spend with mental health topping the list
The employee need and demand for mental health support is continuing to rise, with more than half (52%) of employees expecting mental health support from their employer, according to AXA Health’s 2025 Mind Health Report.
The research also revealed that over half (53%) of employees report above-average stress levels, with the problem being particularly acute for those aged 18-24 years old.
In this age range, 57% fell into the ‘languishing’ or ‘struggling’ categories of mental health. This rate is almost twice as high as for over 55-year-olds (29%).
Mental health conditions are becoming more common amongst the working-age population.
Figures the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) The role of changing health in rising health-related benefit claims (2025), find that 13–15% of the working-age population reported a long-term mental or behavioural health condition in the latest data, up from 8–10% in the mid-2010s.
This is further evidenced in the IFS report by the number of people claiming disability benefits primarily for mental health or behavioural conditions.
More than half of the rise in 16- to 64-year-olds claiming disability benefits since the pandemic is due to more claims relating to mental health or behavioural conditions. The figure now stands at 1.3 million– 44% of all claimants.
Employers are acting
Employers are all too aware of the people risks surrounding poor mental health.
REBA’s Benefits Trends for 2025 Research, in partnership with Barnett Waddingham, revealed that mental health is a top priority, with employers emphasising the need to introduce preventative health measures to reduce long-term healthcare costs.
The direction of benefits spend demonstrates that employers want to provide greater workplace mental health support, introduce preventative measures to build mental resilience, and support financial stress.
Prevention and people risk are two of the key themes running throughout this year’s REBA Congress. This year the event is focused on strategic prevention - leveraging benefits to tackle people risk head-on, protect the workforce and drive sustainable business success.
Be part of the event’s tenth anniversary on Thursday 19 June 2025 and join fellow senior reward, benefits, HR and wellbeing leaders for a packed agenda to learn, share, network and source best-in-class benefits.
