Thousands of young people in West Midlands on sickness benefits

Saturday 4th September 2010, 9:03AM BST.

Thousands of young people in West Midlands on sickness benefits

Thousands of young people in the West Midlands are on sickness benefits, figures reveal.

Ministers said many of the young claimants would have been shuffled on to the old sickness scheme without any long-term view of how to help them get off benefits and into a job.

Data from the Department for Work and Pensions show some 2,140 people in Birmingham aged between 18 and 24 are on incapacity benefit.

In Sandwell and Walsall, 560 young people in the same age group are getting the state hand-out, plus 520 in Wolverhampton and 450 in Dudley.

Elsewhere, 220 young people in Stafford are claiming the benefit, 180 in Cannock Chase, 140 in Lichfield, 100 in South Staffordshire, 160 in Wyre Forest and some 770 in Shropshire.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling said he was shocked at the number of people aged under 25 “parked” on incapacity benefit.

Sickness benefits costs the taxpayer £12.5 billion a year.

Nationally, 99,630 people aged between 18 and 24 — and a further 1,240 aged 16 and 17 — are claiming IB, worth between £67 and £91 per week.

Mr Grayling said it was a sad indictment of the state of the welfare system inherited from Labour.

He said: “We are going to assess everyone on incapacity benefit to see what help and support they need to get them back to work.”


  1. 1
    ukbix

    Perhaps this newspaper should show that it is capable of real journalism, and it is fair, and is not willingly discriminating against the sick and disabled with biased reporting.

    Try going back to Mr Grayling and ask him, just exactly how the assessment clarifies what sort of work you are capable of?

    Perhaps he could explain why they are urgently reviewing the ESA system?

    Perhaps he could explain why the CAB have condemned it as unfit for purpose.

    Perhaps he could explain why the ‘software’ used to assess people is not allowed to be proven as unfit for purpose by the public who fund it’s development?

    Perhaps he could explain why they need to retest people when those people already have been tested, and ARE retested on a regular basis to show that the ARE NOT capable of working.

    Perhaps he could explain why when their own figures show fraud on IB is 0.5 percent or less, there was a target set in advance (of any testing) to fail 1 million people (which is massively more than 0.5 percent).

    Perhaps he could explain why some people are DYING before there appeal is heard?

    Perhaps he could explain why criminal charges are not brought to bear on those responsible for the clear corruption in the system?

    Many people have proven that ATOS LIE on medical reports, and the DWP are making reasonable decisions (even the tribunal service published a report slamming the qaulity of ATOS reports and DWP decision making.)

    Perhaps, when the paper has grilled the sources they used for this article, and published all the responses, then they can hold their head high, and not be thought of as part of the campaign of hatred against the sick and disabled.
    By asking for further clarification and either updating this article or publishing a new one, at least your paper will not be seen to harrassing and victimising the sick and disabled.

    Report abuse

  2. 2
    J

    Why have you lumped Sandwell and walsall together and kept the rest seperate? How many are there in Sandwell?

    Report abuse

  3. 3
    Carter Magna

    More importantly, what on earth is that photo supposed to represent? Is it a girl with a council estate facelift and a young man with long hair?

    Odd.

    Report abuse

  4. 4
    Eileen Dover

    ukbix “DYING before there appeal”….I thought you might like to know that “there” should be spelt “their” when it’s possessive.

    Report abuse

  5. 5
    Steve Briscoe

    E&S is hitting a new low on this sorry story!

    Report abuse



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