20 April 2011 Last updated at 20:43 ET

Thousands claim incapacity benefit for addictions

More than 80,000 people are claiming incapacity benefits because they are addicted to alcohol and drugs or are obese, according to government figures.

The Department for Work and Pensions, which wants to re-assess the UK's 2m claimants, said more than a quarter of the 80,000 had not worked for a decade.

Ministers said people must not get "trapped" on welfare.

Campaigners said they had "serious doubts" about whether there was enough support to help people back into work.

The figures released by the DWP are a snapshot of incapacity benefit claimants in August 2010.

Since February this year, no new claims have been accepted and the government wants to re-assess all current incapacity benefit claimants by 2014.

Pilot projects have already taken place in several areas of the UK to determine whether people are fit to work immediately, whether they can begin the process of looking for work with the right support or whether they need constant care and are unable to work.

'Trapped'

As part of this process, the government has released details of the 81,670 people it says are claiming incapacity benefit - and its successor, employment and support allowance - as a direct result of alcohol, drug and obesity problems.

As of last August, there were 42,360 claimants with alcohol addiction, 37,480 with drug dependency and 1,800 battling obesity, officials said.

The DWP figures indicate that 12,800 alcoholics and 9,200 drug addicts have been claiming the benefit for more than a decade, as well as about 600 people considered obese.

Employment minister Chris Grayling said the problem needed to be addressed, both for the sake of those with such illnesses and society as a whole.

"It is not fair on anyone for this situation to continue," he said. "Far from being the safety net it should be, the benefits system has trapped thousands of people in a cycle of addiction and welfare dependency with no prospect of getting back to work.

"We have already started reassessing everyone on incapacity benefit and will support people with addictions to help them back to work."

Ministers launched what they said was the largest back-to-work programme in modern history earlier this month as part of a root-and-branch reform of welfare designed to make work pay and simplify the benefits system.

Campaigners for those with alcohol problems said they welcomed the government's intention to help people to give up alcohol and get back into employment.

'Safety net'

However, they said there was a real risk that removing benefits from vulnerable people could make their situation even worse.

"We have serious doubts about whether the DWP are committed to investing in the infrastructure needed to support dependent drinkers back into work and if it actually just wants to cut the welfare benefits bill," said Don Shenker, chief executive of Alcohol Concern.

"Welfare benefit advisers have not been very good in the past at supporting dependent drinkers to access treatment and support and there is a huge shortage of treatment facilities to support dependent drinkers."

Mr Shenker said reformed alcoholics should be encouraged, in the first place, to find voluntary work. While some might appear physically able to work, he said, those with psychological addictions to alcohol might find this difficult and not all employers would be sympathetic to their past problems.

"Cutting benefits for problem drinkers is simply going to cost the state more in the long run as problem drinkers get more desperate, become homeless and beg for money," he added. "It would be better and cheaper to support them with benefits than to take this safety net away."

Labour said the government's economic policy was self-defeating since spending cuts would increase unemployment levels and push up the benefits bill by £12bn.

"The real problem now is the Tories' decision to cut too far and too fast has meant that unemployment is set to increase every year," said shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne. "With five people now chasing every job, what we need to get people off benefits and paying tax is more jobs."