Sick Note culture

[Gromit]

"Almost 2,000 obese people were awarded incapacity benefit over the past 12 months, while billions more was handed out for complaints ranging from acne to leprosy.

A total of �7.4 billion in incapacity benefit was shared between 2.7 million people, among them alcoholics, drug addicts and people with sleep and eating disorders.

The full list of ailments, which was obtained using a Freedom of Information request, may fuel suspicion that people are being pushed into claiming benefits to lower the official unemployment statistics.

Stress appeared to keep 50,000 claimants off work, while 15,600 claimed with what is described as "malaise and fatigue".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml =/news/2007/11/19/nfat119.xml

I await your views...

[anotheoldgit]

The whole system needs overhauling. There are many that are genuinely unable to work, and these should receive more cash than they get now.But the rest of the scrongers get them back in work.

I cannot see how taking people off benefits would increase the number of unemployed. We are constanty being told that there are numorous jobs that the indigenous population will not do.

The simple answer to this is, if you go along to the job centre you take the first job that is offered to you or no benefit entitlement.

[New Judge]

Oh, and by the way, ruby27, for whom should we vote in order to see a change of policy?

[sandbach99]

Incapacity benefit is only paid after 26 weeks of illness, therefore anybody employed should have had their employer making checks.

Unemployed are slightly different it depends on linking claims as to when Incapacity benefit starts.

When a person receives Incapacity benefit their claim is referred to a state doctor periodically, this doctor will consult the GP/Consultant and can if he so decides request the patient to attend a medical examination, and can stop the benefit or allow it to continue

A lot of these diagnosisis are the initial one made by the GP, due to patients confidentiality rules the Benefit office will NOT be informed of a more serious diagnosis.

This list is flawed, misleading and is just goverment spin.

I note some ABers have only picked up obesity, what about long term sick with Flu?. An initial diagnosis of obesity could actually prove to be a serious disease of the adrenal glands.