The Post commented 1,400 ON BENEFITS DUE TO DRUGS

MORE people in Bristol are claiming disability benefits because they are addicted to illegal drugs than anywhere else in the country.

Government figures show that more than 1,400 people in the city are receiving incapacity benefit or its replacement, employment support allowance, because of their drug problems more than in any other local authority area, Birmingham, Glasgow or Manchester.

The government released the data to try to generate support for its controversial shake-up of benefit payments.

According to the figures, from the Department for Work and Pensions, drug addiction was the main reason for welfare dependency of 990 incapacity benefit claimants and 420 people receiving ESA.

City council bosses said it had been recognised that Bristol had one of the highest numbers of "complex drug users" in Britain.

Ministers said the figures showed why the whole benefits system needs to be transformed. But a Bristol charity warned of "marginalising" people with drug problems.

Bristol West Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Williams said: "There may well be a lot of people receiving benefits because of drug addiction. But curtailing their benefits isn't going to deal with that."

Charlotte Leslie, Conservative MP for Bristol North West, said: "It is obviously bad for everybody if we have got a large number of people languishing on benefits because of drug or alcohol problems. They are not getting the support it doesn't help them if all they are getting from the state is something to feed the habit. They need to break the cycle."

Ms Leslie, who said she backed the government's moves to reform welfare, said it would be a "massive challenge" to change the way addictions and mental health issues are dealt with.

Regina Birtto, of Knowle West Alcohol and Drug Service, said Bristol's high numbers of claimants could mean the city has a good network of support and information for addicts.

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The Post commented 1,400 ON BENEFITS DUE TO DRUGS