by According to a new survey on sickness benefits by the Department for Work and Pensions, 93% of people will tell lies about their physical condition in order to get some free money.
Of the 1.3 million people who claimed to be ‘too sick to work’ from October 2008 to November 2010, only 88,700 were considered beyond even the most humiliating of menial paid positions.
“These figures show that many people are able to work with the right, erm, ‘motivation’.” said Work and Pensions Minister Steve Webb.
“Those who cannot work will always receive our unconditional support, it’s just that it’s the position of this government that such people don’t exist.”
“If you tell us you’re sick and can’t work, fine – it’s just that we won’t believe you. And if you somehow manage to convince one of our assessors that it’s true, we’ll still find some way to disqualify you. You have my word on that.”
“We’re working hard on that 88,700 figure, trust me.”
Disability benefit survey
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said the survey was extremely flawed, and the suggestion that any of the 1.3 million applicants for sickness and disability benefit was simply ‘trying it on’ was insulting.
He told reporters, “What sort of people does the minister think my members are? Why would anyone lie about their physical condition purely to get some free money from the government? It’s preposterous!”
“I know full well that if any of my members were offered the choice between minimum wage manual labour, or sitting on the sofa at the government’s expense, they’d all take the menial job at the drop of a hat.”
“Oh yes they would.”
