More than £1billion has been lost in the past six years due to fraud in payments of disability benefit. The cash is disappearing because officials do not check whether thousands of people are as disabled as they claim. The problem is getting worse: the amount that has gone through fraud has risen by 50 per cent over the same period. The figures are the tip of the iceberg because they only relate to disability living allowance.They do not cover other similar handouts such as incapacity benefit and the attendance allowance that is also paid to the disabled.



In the spending review and emergency budget, plans for a new independent assessment to decide eligibility for disability living allowance were announced. Sadly these will not come in until 2013.
Recipients of D.L.A. get a payment of up to £121.25 a week and are allowed to spend the money on whatever they want,it is an expensive benefit that is wide open to fraud.I am happy that the Coalition plans to introduce tough medical tests to assess claimants. Taxpayers want a decent welfare state, but only if it's fair and gives good value for money.