Welfare worry

THE clampdown on benefit cheats is to be welcomed, but if new tougher regulations are to be brought in, there has to be some common sense when enforcing them.

The story of a North Yorkshire man judged fit to work despite being seriously ill with bowel cancer, is extremely worrying.

The welfare system is full of complex, individual cases and each must be decided on its merits by trained professionals.

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There is no other way to protect those who legitimately require help, and remove those who are only seeking to abuse the system.

For some time, many have called for tougher regulations, but Citizens Advice were right when they warned "something is going very wrong" after the man was ruled to be able to work despite his illness meaning a colostomy bag needed changing 16 times a day.

The tests check whether people are able to walk 50 metres or pick up an item off the floor – these are clearly too crude.

They may also prove counter-productive – toughening up the benefits system is supposed to save money, but using such a blunt method to test for eligibility will only pave the way to a host of costly appeals.

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There was clearly a need for reform, but a one-size-fits-all tough approach will not only result in distressing cases of the genuinely ill being forced to work, but will ultimately fail in its objective of creating a more efficient, productive welfare system.