75% ON SICK BENEFITS ARE FAKING

Daily Express

Wednesday October 14,2009

By Gabriel Milland

 

Only one in twenty is totally incapable of work

 

LABOUR’S failure to crack down on scroungers has let three-quarters of incapacity benefit claimants get away with faking their illnesses.

 

Taxpayers are now handing over a stunning £11billion every year to around 1.9 million people who are able to work and should be looking for jobs, new figures revealed yesterday.

 

Details of the scandal emerged in the first-ever statistics from the new work capability assessment introduced last year.

They revealed that just one in 20 of those taking the tests was found to be incapable of getting any kind of job.

 

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Theresa May said: “These figures show Labour’s total failure on incapacity benefits over the past 10 years. We know there are many people on incapacity benefits that want to work and today’s figures indicate that many could be fit for work.

“The Government talks tough on welfare reform, but has refused to sign up to Conservative plans. Its record over the past 10 years shows Labour is simply not up to the job.”

 

And Mark Wallace, campaign director of the TaxPayers Alliance, said: “This is a national scandal, that has cost tens of billions of pounds. It is appalling that taxpayers have been paying benefits for so long to so many people who are in fact capable of work. The freeloaders who took advantage and the politicians who saw this as a

convenient way to reduce unemployment figures, should be ashamed of themselves.”

 

Results from the tests showed that just 16 per cent of new claims are now being paid out, compared to 83 per cent before the checks were brought in.

 

Under the new system, those wanting to claim must be examined face to face within three months of handing in the paperwork – with an assessment provided of the sort of work they can actually do.

Just five per cent of new claimants were found totally incapable of any work and eligible for the new employment and support allowance.

Another 11 per cent were given the allowance, though with conditions attached like having to attend regular interviews.

But 36 per cent were found perfectly fit for work and another 38 per cent stopped claiming benefits before the assessment on them was completed.

The other 10 per cent were still being assessed as the figures were added up.

 

The figures are based on 193,800 people who made a claim between October 2008 and February this year. Just 750,000 people were on incapacity benefit in 1996 before Labour took power. But that number has since more than tripled to more than 2.6 million.

 

The total cost to taxpayers is now more than £16billion a year.

 

More than 100,000 claimants are awarded the payouts because they are drug addicts or alcoholics.

 

Incapacity benefits provide around £87 per week, roughly £20 a week more than job seekers get. Recipients can then also claim benefits for things like council tax and rent

There is no obligation for those on incapacity benefit to even think about finding work. Until now, applicants have been able to claim with just a simple form and a doctor’s letter.

 

Tory leader David Cameron promised last week that a Conservative government would launch a massive scheme to check all claimants. Ms May said: “Our plans for welfare reform will reassess all existing incapacity benefit claimants.”

Work and Pensions Secretary Yvette Cooper yesterday attacked the Tories for letting incapacity benefit run out of control in the last recession in the early 1990s.

 

For me this is by far the really scandal of the Labour administration. We have proportionally 65% - 75% more citizens on incapacity benefit (or their equivalent) than ANY other country in the EU. It really angers me that these work shy scroungers are running this country into the ground; and the Labour administration are happy to make the taxpayer pick up the bill whilst a lot of these work shy scroungers buy The Sun; worship Rupert Murdoch & Simon Cowell and blame hard working immigrants for the country being in the state it is, when if they got off their obese backsides there would be no need to allow so many immigrants in this country to do jobs that New Labour's over generous benefit systems mean that they don't have to. Thoughts?

Funny you mention Rupert Murdoch, seeing as NewsCorp is rather infamous for not paying a single penny of tax for its operations in the UK...this figure, while disgraceful in itself, is quite frankly just The Express focusing its light on its typical targets. I wonder what they would have to say of the (conservative estimate of) £41bn we lose per annum as a result of the ubiquitous tax evasion of the super-rich within the UK...

 

Oh no, I forgot, it's alright as long as they're super-rich. All that unpaid tax will doubtless find its way down to the poor via trickle-down economics :rolleyes:

Most of the shift from unemployment benefit to disability benefit happened under the last Tory government - supported by the Express and the Sun. Of course Labour could have done something about it earlier. As it is, they've chosen the worst possible time to do it with unemployment rising without changes like this.

 

As for the Taxpayers Alliance, I'll consider taking their views seriously when all their benefactors pay UK tax.

before anyone can really comment, we have to check the facts... we dont KNOW wether or not those statistics are accurate.

before anyone can really comment, we have to check the facts... we dont KNOW wether or not those statistics are accurate.

 

Actually, they're not, it's bullsh"t coming from Conservative Party central office, just like the Bullsh"t that came out of David Cameron's speech last week.... Cameron's figures were actually including people on Income Support...... DO NOT BELIEVE THESE LYING TORY SCUM..... They manipulated the figures when they were in power to suit themselves, and now are doing exactly the same thing in opposition, FUKK THE TORIES! FUKK CAMERON!!! He's nothing more than an utter c'unt and probably another "Thatcher-in-wating", the very last thing that the country needs right now..... <_< As much as I HATE Gordon Brown, the contempt I have for Cameron and the Tories knows absolutely no limits whatsoever, people who are all-to-willing to actually believe anything the Tories or the Tory Press have to say seem to have rather short memories, and shame on you Richard for actually believing the hype.... I'm not saying that there aren't some out there faking it (we know of at least ONE on this very site...), but, put it this way, you tell me how someone with a chronic alcohol or drug problem can actually hold down a steady job.... Yes, we probably should be putting them into Rehab centres, but you just wait and see how many of these Middle-Class Tory suburbanites start whingeing and bitching about having to pay the much HIGHER costs of that..... :rolleyes:

 

The facts are these - in terms of PROPORTION, we dont have any more people claiming sickness benefits than any other EU country... The figures coming from the Tory Propaganda machine are LIES, LIES AND MORE DAMN LIES.....

Funny you mention Rupert Murdoch, seeing as NewsCorp is rather infamous for not paying a single penny of tax for its operations in the UK...this figure, while disgraceful in itself, is quite frankly just The Express focusing its light on its typical targets. I wonder what they would have to say of the (conservative estimate of) £41bn we lose per annum as a result of the ubiquitous tax evasion of the super-rich within the UK...

 

Oh no, I forgot, it's alright as long as they're super-rich. All that unpaid tax will doubtless find its way down to the poor via trickle-down economics :rolleyes:

 

I have no problem with the likes of Murdoch paying no tax, how many people does he employ in this country ? 50,000 ? 100,000 ? add to that suppliers that depend on business from him, thats a $h!tload of people paying tax thanks to Murdoch who otherwise might well be on benefits receiving tax so Murdoch contributes huge amounts to the economy by employing people

I have no problem with the likes of Murdoch paying no tax, how many people does he employ in this country ? 50,000 ? 100,000 ? add to that suppliers that depend on business from him, thats a $h!tload of people paying tax thanks to Murdoch who otherwise might well be on benefits receiving tax so Murdoch contributes huge amounts to the economy by employing people

 

What utter rubbish Craig.... So, it's okay for his employees to pay tax, but not him, he should be immune somehow...? :lol: :lol: Oh great, well, we'll just have ALL bosses, CEOs, etc, be tax exempt then... Prat....

 

And, by the way, he's just a figurehead mate, the person who RUNS News International on a day to day basis is the company's Head of Accounts..... :rolleyes: He's actually employed no one AT ALL......

 

Suedehead is 100% spot on, if all these "super rich" vermin like him who feed off the blood of the workers, actually PAID THEIR FUKKIN' FAIR SHARE INTO THE SYSTEM, then this country probably wouldn't be in the absolute sh"tter..... The likes of you and me certainly cant avoid paying tax... We get taxed AT SOURCE.... Why the fukk do you continually defend rich scum like Murdoch and Al Fayed....?

I have no problem with the likes of Murdoch paying no tax, how many people does he employ in this country ? 50,000 ? 100,000 ? add to that suppliers that depend on business from him, thats a $h!tload of people paying tax thanks to Murdoch who otherwise might well be on benefits receiving tax so Murdoch contributes huge amounts to the economy by employing people

The people working for Murdoch would be able to pay a good deal less tax if Murdoch and News International paid their fair share. How can you possibly defend the likes of them avoiding enormous amounts of tax while condemning people like Chris for relying on benefits?

The people working for Murdoch would be able to pay a good deal less tax if Murdoch and News International paid their fair share. How can you possibly defend the likes of them avoiding enormous amounts of tax while condemning people like Chris for relying on benefits?

 

Not to defend the likes of Crazy Chris and the other bone idle chavs, but yeah, that certainly would seem like complete hypocrisy on Craig's part....

 

I mean, sorry, but my wages are being hacked into to the tune of about a THIRD (when one also takes into account National Insurance... <_< ) every bloody month, and then again by fukkin' VAT, which hits the poor a LOT more than the rich.... So, sorry, but WTF?????? THIS IS JUST SHEER THEFT!!!!!!!! AND WE TOLERATE IT..... :angry: And then smug b'astards like Murdoch just get away with paying anything....

 

It's about time to make these buggers PAY UP for taking advantage of what this country has to offer.....

What utter rubbish Craig.... So, it's okay for his employees to pay tax, but not him, he should be immune somehow...? :lol: :lol: Oh great, well, we'll just have ALL bosses, CEOs, etc, be tax exempt then... Prat....

 

And, by the way, he's just a figurehead mate, the person who RUNS News International on a day to day basis is the company's Head of Accounts..... :rolleyes: He's actually employed no one AT ALL......

 

Suedehead is 100% spot on, if all these "super rich" vermin like him who feed off the blood of the workers, actually PAID THEIR FUKKIN' FAIR SHARE INTO THE SYSTEM, then this country probably wouldn't be in the absolute sh"tter..... The likes of you and me certainly cant avoid paying tax... We get taxed AT SOURCE.... Why the fukk do you continually defend rich scum like Murdoch and Al Fayed....?

 

Murdoch is very hands on indeed, infact the editor of The Sun has to mail Murdoch a copy to have his say so before it goes to print, Sky is run by his sons who report directly to Murdoch himself so he is a lot more than a figurehead

 

Murdoch if the taxman started chasing him could simply pack up his businesses and relocate to another country resulting in severe job losses and tens of thousands thrown on the dole with News International upping sticks to Germany after the German government cuts Murdoch a deal to pay no tax there in return for locating his business there so we are best off keeping him sweet and keeping 50,000 off the dole queue, in an ideal world Murdoch would pay 50% tax like everyone else on top rate but he is too big and powerful to be p***ing off

The people working for Murdoch would be able to pay a good deal less tax if Murdoch and News International paid their fair share. How can you possibly defend the likes of them avoiding enormous amounts of tax while condemning people like Chris for relying on benefits?

 

The Crazy Chris' of this world sit on their fat arses doing nothing, the Murdoch's, Ecclestone's, Sugar's of this world who pay no tax work incredibly hard, big difference

Murdoch if the taxman started chasing him could simply pack up his businesses and relocate to another country resulting in severe job losses and tens of thousands thrown on the dole with News International upping sticks to Germany after the German government cuts Murdoch a deal to pay no tax there in return for locating his business there so we are best off keeping him sweet and keeping 50,000 off the dole queue, in an ideal world Murdoch would pay 50% tax like everyone else on top rate but he is too big and powerful to be p***ing off

 

Then you PUT THE B'ASTARD IN PRISON UNTIL HE PAYS UP!!!!! <_< This is what we'd do with any ordinary criminal who deliberately avoids paying taxes....

 

I cannot believe you are defending this c/unt..... I'm sorry, but did anyone actually VOTE FOR HIM???? Are you saying that he should be above the laws of this country....???? God man, what kind of idiocy is this....?

The Crazy Chris' of this world sit on their fat arses doing nothing, the Murdoch's, Ecclestone's, Sugar's of this world who pay no tax work incredibly hard, big difference

 

If they avoid paying their fair share into this system, than they are CRIMINALS and should be treated as such.... Honestly, I would imprison people like them... Take their passports away from them and FORCE THEM TO WORK WITHOUT PAY UNTIL THEIR DEBTS TO SOCIETY WERE PAID OFF......

Then you PUT THE B'ASTARD IN PRISON UNTIL HE PAYS UP!!!!! <_< This is what we'd do with any ordinary criminal who deliberately avoids paying taxes....

 

I cannot believe you are defending this c/unt..... I'm sorry, but did anyone actually VOTE FOR HIM???? Are you saying that he should be above the laws of this country....???? God man, what kind of idiocy is this....?

 

He isn't avoiding tax though, when he set up Sky and other businesses that employ tens and thousands of people he would have cut a deal with the DTI that he would not be taxed, it is common practice particularly with overseas investment and it doesn't just happen here, Felipe Massa the F1 driver cut a deal with the Brazil government that he would pay £5000 a year in tax, now given he earns $10m a year in F1 the Brazil government wanted to keep him in the country as he was a big asset to the country they cut him a deal tax wise so he stayed

He HASN'T cut a deal though, he's just established these places in the country while in legal terms placing them in tax havens...

Murdoch is very hands on indeed, infact the editor of The Sun has to mail Murdoch a copy to have his say so before it goes to print, Sky is run by his sons who report directly to Murdoch himself so he is a lot more than a figurehead

 

Murdoch if the taxman started chasing him could simply pack up his businesses and relocate to another country resulting in severe job losses and tens of thousands thrown on the dole with News International upping sticks to Germany after the German government cuts Murdoch a deal to pay no tax there in return for locating his business there so we are best off keeping him sweet and keeping 50,000 off the dole queue, in an ideal world Murdoch would pay 50% tax like everyone else on top rate but he is too big and powerful to be p***ing off

 

Murdoch p***ing off would hurt us financially yes, but GOD what a dangerous MORAL precedent we'd be setting if we simply threw our hands up in the air and let every CEO avoid tax.

What it comes down to is that your average person on the shop and office floors are paying a 1/3 of their earnings in tax, so why should the RICH get away with it?

 

This shouldn't just be a question about finances.

He isn't avoiding tax though, when he set up Sky and other businesses that employ tens and thousands of people he would have cut a deal with the DTI that he would not be taxed, it is common practice particularly with overseas investment and it doesn't just happen here, Felipe Massa the F1 driver cut a deal with the Brazil government that he would pay £5000 a year in tax, now given he earns $10m a year in F1 the Brazil government wanted to keep him in the country as he was a big asset to the country they cut him a deal tax wise so he stayed

Are you seriously suggesting that that sort of arrangement is OK? An ordinary worker in the UK will pay £5000 tax and National Insurance on an income of approx £21000. So why should someone who drives a car fast for a living (thus indulging in the least environmentally friendly sport ever invented) get away with paying the same amount?

 

In case you didn't get it the first time, if some greedy git gets away with paying £5000 tax on an income of several million pounds, the rest of us have to make up the difference.

OK then Craig. Shall I subvert your example? If we didn't ahve so many unemployed, think how many MORE unemployed we would have as we wouldn't have as many people working at benefits offices, face-to-face interaction to withdraw the benefits, people in the background doing means-testing, reviewing benefit applications, and so on and so forth.

 

Therefore, why do we care how much it is costing or whether or not they're paying taxes as they're contributing so much to the economy due to all the people who wouldn't have been hired otherwise and stimulated the economy by being hired had they not been unemployed?

 

Or, how about we admit that both are fallacious arguments and conclude that we start pursuing both - starting with the £41bn shortfall! Then we can deal with the severely overestimated £11bn in the other which includes people who are working...

Are you seriously suggesting that that sort of arrangement is OK? An ordinary worker in the UK will pay £5000 tax and National Insurance on an income of approx £21000. So why should someone who drives a car fast for a living (thus indulging in the least environmentally friendly sport ever invented) get away with paying the same amount?

 

In case you didn't get it the first time, if some greedy git gets away with paying £5000 tax on an income of several million pounds, the rest of us have to make up the difference.

 

SPOT ON!!! And that's the crux of the matter... the shortfall from these SCUM WHO AVOID PAYING TAXES has to be made up by the rest of us.... ie, THE WORKING CLASSES WHO CAN LEAST AFFORD IT...... :angry:

 

I have far more hatred for rich entrepreneurs who avoid tax than people who are on benefits... People on benefits cant pay taxes, therefore aren't actively avoiding it or playing around with the tax system, it's not as if 50% income tax for these people is anything like unfair anyway, it's a damn sight more unfair to expect a person on minimum wage to pay a fukkin' THIRD into the system (which is really the reason why you get "scroungers" in the first place, THEY HAVE NO INCENTIVE TO WORK BECAUSE THEIR "WAGES" WILL BE SWALLOWED UP BY TAX!!!!! <_< )... The likes of Murdoch, etc, are being cut these totally unfair deals (which the New Labour Govt should have declared null and void if they'd actually had any decency....). Govts are supposed to represent the PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR THEM, not a bunch of fukkin' foreign multi-millionnaires or billionnaires looking for dodgy Tax Havens... It really is about time that Democratically elected Govts (whether it be the EU, the US, Canada, or Australia) started standing up to these UN-democratic Multinational Corporations.... Or, if they refuse to, or dont have the guts to, then let the Anti-Globalisers and G20 protestors do the job... <_<