Posted on 03/31/2013 12:31:32 PM PDT by DeaconBenjamin
Nearly 900,000 people on incapacity benefit dropped their claim to the payments rather than undergo a tough medical test, latest government figures show.
The 878,300 who decided not to have an official assessment of whether they were fit for work was more than a third of the total number of people claiming sickness-related benefits.
The statistics also revealed that some claimants cited conditions such as blisters, sprains and strains and acne as preventing them from having a job.
More than 46,120 people claimed incapacity benefit because of behavioural disorders due to the use of alcohol while 29,130 claimants cited drug use.
Ministers said the figures showed the full extent of how millions had been trapped on welfare for decades.
Grant Shapps, the Conservative Party chairman, said the old system was evil and accused Labour of using sickness benefits to hide the unemployed when the party was in power.
The statistics emerged ahead of a raft of controversial changes to the benefits system which will come into force this week. An overall benefits cap, which will prevent any household receiving more than £26,000 a year in total benefit payments - a figure set to reflect the average gross salary of a full-time worker.
Labour say the average household will be £891 worse off in 2013-14 because of tax and benefits changes.
Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, has faced criticism after scaling back a pilot scheme for his flagship universal credit - which will merge dozens of different out-of-work benefits into a single payment with the aim of ensuring an individual is always better off in work than on benefit.
Instead of being tested in four job centres, the new system will only be piloted in one from this week amid claims the new scheme is in chaos.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
ROTFL! Socialism. Ya gotta love it. Another fraud scheme perpetrated on the taxpayers by freeloaders.
Sounds like something desperately needed in the USA. I would not be the least bit surprised if 15 to 20 percent of those collecting disability benefits are scams.
Good for the Brits! Will we have the good sense to do the same? (Right!)
Here in the U.S., Can we lock up the lawyers complicit in this American fraud?
It’s a miracle!
I think you're low-balling. It's probably closer to 90%+.
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Good question. I suppose it's possible but highly unlikely.
TESTS??! We would NEVER impose on people for such a thing in the USA! They have rights! We should just trust them. If they say there are disabled, then that is the end of it. We just pay them to be alive until they die. We OWE it to them.
/s /large
It’s worse than the 878k number would indicate
878,300 dropped their claims
837,000 were found fit to work
367,300 were fit for some amount of work
232,000 (just 1 in 8) were found to be unable to work
> would not be the least bit surprised if 15 to 20 percent of those collecting disability benefits are scams
If my personal observations are any indication, it’s more like 60%-80% disability fraud. Lazy schmucks stealing from us that work for a living.
They’re doing the opposite over her, encouraging unemployed to go on disability.
GEE! That sure cured them a lot better and faster than the communist style health care UK has!
(we get articles from UK almost daily about patients dropping dead in hospital due to starvation or failure to provide care... also extremely lengthy waiting periods to see medical personnel or receive certain important treatments or surgeries)
hopefully all those articles are wrong, or exaggerations, but.... this new approach has cured nearly a million disabled people almost instantly.... (an amazing MIRACLE appropriate to this Easter/Passover season)...
Congratulations, United Kingdom!
OMG!!! BLOODSUCKERS!! Just like we have here!!
MILLIONS are collecting disability and most are RECENT! It’s probably 60% are FRAUDS!
It’s a MIRACLE....Just like Billy Ray Valentine being able to WALK!!!
” I would not be the least bit surprised if 15 to 20 percent of those collecting disability benefits are scams.”
In this country is likely is at least 50% scamming the system. And Nobama loves it...helps keep unemployment numbers unrealistically low.
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