Hundreds in Shropshire claim benefits over alcohol and drugs
Hundreds of people in Shropshire are unable to work because of their addiction to drugs or alcohol, new figures reveal.
Hundreds of people in Shropshire are unable to work because of their addiction to drugs or alcohol, new figures reveal.
According to the Government, more than 500 people in the county are affected.
The figures say they are claiming some form of benefits because of their addictions.
This includes 280 people who are claiming incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance because of alcohol or drug abuse.
A further 140 are claiming employment and support allowance, while another 110 are claiming disability living allowance.
Almost 40,000 people across the country claim incapacity benefit, with alcoholism declared as their ‘primary diagnosis’. Of these, 13,500 have been claiming for a decade or more.
There are about 160,000 ‘dependent drinkers’ in England who receive one or more of the main benefits, the Department for Work and Pensions figures show.
Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard said the Government was helping help people at treatment centres.
“There should also be a review of the legal prescribing of methadone which has multiple costs for the taxpayer and questionable benefits for users,” he added.
Both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin councils said they were working with organisations, to deal with drug and alcohol problems.
Comments for: "Hundreds in Shropshire claim benefits over alcohol and drugs"
Roger
This is only the surface of the problem. The majority of the drug dependant, including Methadone users, are on JSA, because they are refused disability or support allowances. Most of these are not fit to work, or able to do so because of the commitments involved in the treatment but that is a different argument.
The main problem is that the existing regime in substance abuse clinics is ineffective because they fall short of required treatment. A large area of failure is mental health services. The people who become long term addicts usually have underlying mental health issues which are not addressed. Detoxification only takes them back to where they started without addressing the reason they started. Mark Pritchard is right insomuch that if the underlying conditions are not addressed methadone is only replacing the heroin in a lower cost stabilisation. It does however stabilise the situation and reduce the crime level otherwise required to support an illegal habit.
A better more balanced treatment regime is required that will take people out of the dependency and the underlying problems. That would mean that more people would come out of the regime and reduce total numbers.
The DWP's total inability to understand the issues is inexcusable because they only make matters worse by targeting addicts and giving them more reason to stay addicts. The DWP's focus should be the unemployed who want to work and are fit to do so. They can not control or affect the outcomes for drug addicts, which is for the substance abuse teams. Disability and benefits dependency can only be addressed by the proper treatment and management of addicts to take them out of the benefits system through treatment and rehabilitation. Drug addiction is not the problem. It is the failure to properly address Mental Health Issues.
Anne
At last a well informed response to a governments continued attacks on the most vulnerable. No one becomes an addict for an excuse to avoid work. Mental health affects so many choices and decisions and drug abuse can seem like the only way to deal with symptoms. Mental health and substance misuse teams need to see the issue as one issue and accept many people self medicate. Sadly with heart breaking consequences. Maybe we need to start helping and stop judging.
tony
please tell me who are the most vunerable.