More than 1.4m adults in Britain have never worked a day in their life, according to the latest government figures.

The statistics reveal that 1.4m people have never had a job, while some 600,000 16 to 24-year-olds have never worked despite being out of education or training. A further 800,000 25 to 64-year-olds have never worked.

Employment minister Chris Grayling blamed the figures from the Department of Work and Pensions on the previous government. “This is a shocking waste of human talent and a dreadful legacy that the government has inherited.”