Premature deaths blamed on inequality

The gap between the lifestyles of the rich and poor is having a major impact on the chances of living a healthy life, it suggests.

Life expectancy for the worst-off has improved in the past decade – by an extra 2.9 years – but more needs to be done, said Professor Sir Michael Marmot, who led the Government-ordered review.

The report said: "Reducing health inequalities is a matter of fairness and social justice.

"In England, the many people who are currently dying prematurely each year as a result of health inequalities would otherwise have enjoyed, in total, between 1.3 and 2.5 million extra years of life."

The report called for an overhaul in some areas, including the income tax system.

It said action is needed in six key areas, including giving every child the best start in life, creating fair employment and encouraging people into work, and working to prevent people falling ill in the first place.

One recommendation is for parents to be at home in the first year of a child's life, perhaps by the mother taking six months of paid leave, followed by six months for the father.

The report also calls for more money to be spent supporting children in the first years of life.

The report said poor health causes between 31bn and 33bn-worth of productivity losses each year while up to 32bn is lost in taxes and in making higher welfare payments.

People are more likely to suffer poor health if they are unemployed and getting people into work is of "critical importance" in reducing the gap between rich and poor, the study said. The benefits system must not act as a disincentive to working, it said.