Daily Telegraph: 100,000 addicts claim incapacity benefits

by Christopher Hope, Home Affairs Correspondent

THE number of people claiming benefits because of alcoholism and drug abuse has more than doubled in 10 years.

Figures show that more than 100,000 addicts are now claiming incapacity benefit, which can be worth as much as pounds 87.50 a week.

The increase has come during a decade when the Government has relaxed laws on cannabis possession and introduced 24-hour drinking.

In 2007, 51,410 people picked up the benefit because they were classified as suffering from alcoholism - compared with 26,800 in 1997.

Those claiming the benefit because of drug abuse rose from 21,900 in 1997 to 49,890 last year.

The total number of people claiming incapacity benefit has risen over the past 10 years and now stands at 2.64 million. Some 1.8 million have started their claim since 1997. This means that drug abusers or alcoholics now account for almost one in every 25 claimants. In 1997 they accounted for less than one in 50.

The Conservatives said the benefits bill for these claimants is estimated to be over pounds 8.5 million per week, and over pounds 400 million a year.

Chris Grayling, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said the current system did nothing to encourage addicts to receive treatment.

He added: "These figures yet again show how Labour cannot get to grips with our welfare system. James Purnell [Work and Pensions Secretary] likes to talk tough about welfare reform, but Labour's record over the last 10 years shows they have failed.''

Matthew Elliott, the chief executive of the campaigning group, TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "It is absolutely shocking that so much taxpayers' money is being wasted on subsidising a lifestyle of alcoholism and drugs. The benefits system is meant to be about helping people fallen on hard times to get back on their feet not keeping people on the breadline in lives of addiction for the long term.''

The figures were disclosed shortly after the Government admitted that nearly pounds 3 million is paid out every year to 12,000 people who no longer live in Britain.

Anne McGuire, the work and pensions minister, said drug abusers who are not in treatment will in future attend a meeting with an "appropriate specialist treatment provider''.

The Government is also planning to try to cut down on the number of people claiming benefits by forcing hundreds of thousands of claimants to attend "work focused interviews'' from 2010.

The reforms follow a review of the system last year by David Freud, an investment banker, which concluded that the number of people on benefits could be significantly reduced from 2.7 million to 700,000.

Comments

[Barry Collins]

But isn't this just another total failure by our greedy politicians who seem more interested in hiding their claims for their Tv licences and food and cleaning bills. There is no incentive in the UK to go to work any more. I am sickened at what I see day and daily in our streets, its no wonder so many people that have reached pension age have left UK. Sure even some immigrants are going home because they have had enough with Rip Off UK PLC. Approaching retirement myself with no sickness, sure wasn't I stupid. should have laid at home and claimed every thing, disability living allowance, Motorbility and what ever else would have come along. My children were the only ones in their classes at college not getting the £30 per week allowance. This country has had it.