Widower Daniel Blake, portrayed by Dave Johns, is a 59-year-old carpenter living in Newcastle who has experienced a heart attack at work. Following his health setback, his cardiologist advises against returning to work, yet a work capability assessment surprisingly deems him fit, resulting in the denial of his employment and support allowance. The assessment is conducted by a non-medical professional, who merely collects answers without grasping their implications.
This disheartening situation illustrates how the Government's employment and support services have outsourced their responsibilities to a private agency, stripping the process of essential human touch. Frustrations escalate when Daniel discovers that his doctor was never contacted regarding his work capability and that the application process for an appeal is daunting, especially since he lacks computer skills.
In his struggle for support, Daniel forms a bond with Katie, a single mother played by Hayley Squires, who faces her own hardships after being sanctioned for arriving late at a job center. Recently relocated from a London homeless hostel to Newcastle, Katie and her children find themselves without affordable housing. Daniel steps in to assist by repairing items, sharing advice on heating their home without electricity, and crafting wooden toys for the children.
Next door lives China, portrayed by Kema Sikazwe, an African American man engaging in shady dealings by using Daniel's address to receive shipments of counterfeit shoes from China, which he sells at discounted rates. Amidst this turbulent scenario, Daniel is ensnared in the welfare bureaucracy after his application for employment benefits is denied. Despite being instructed by his doctor not to work, he is pressured to seek jobs in order to qualify for Jobseeker benefits.
As David navigates this maze of bureaucracy, his appeal for benefits remains stagnant, as it must go through a lengthy reconsideration process. The agency then sanctions Daniel for not demonstrating sufficient effort in job searching, leading to a nerve-wracking four-week Job Seekers Allowance sanction, with potential subsequent sanctions lasting up to 13 weeks or more.
Despite the warnings of sympathetic agency worker Ann (Kate Rutter), Daniel decides against continuing his Job Seeker allowance. Meanwhile, Katie faces dire circumstances; overwhelmed by hunger, she breaks down at a food bank and, later caught shoplifting, is offered a job in a brothel. Concerned for her, Daniel confronts her at the brothel and pleads with her to leave the job, but she tearfully insists that she has no other way to provide for her children.
Fulfilling the conditions of Job Seeker’s allowance requires Daniel to continue job hunting. However, he declines an opportunity at a scrapyard, respecting his doctor’s advice against working too soon. Frustrated by the agency's demands, he protests, spray-painting "I, Daniel Blake, demand my appeal date before I starve" on their building. This act garners sympathy from the public, including fellow benefit claimants, but ultimately leads to his arrest and a warning.
In a desperate bid to escape his mounting despair, Daniel isolates himself and sells most of his belongings. Yet, an act of kindness from Daisy, played by Briana Shann, Katie's daughter, who brings him a homemade meal, revives his spirit.
On the day of his appeal, Katie stands by Daniel's side in court, where a welfare adviser expresses confidence in his case. However, upon seeing the judge and the doctor assigned to determine his fate, anxiety overwhelms him, leading to another heart attack in the restroom, resulting in his untimely death.
At Daniel’s public health funeral, Katie reads a poignant eulogy, reciting his planned appeal speech. In it, Daniel articulates the deep disappointment he felt about how the welfare system failed him, reducing him to a mere number rather than recognizing him as a man who had contributed honorably to society.
