Addicts and obese 'on the sick'

Almost 10,000 Londoners are on incapacity benefit because they are too fat or addicted to drugs or alcohol.

They are made up of 5,000 alcoholics, 4,500 drug users and just over 200 obese people, all claiming up to £91.40 a week. The total number of London claimants is 246,210, with 169,570 having received the benefit for longer than five years. Nationwide, 2.1million people claim it, costing £7billion a year.

The benefit was closed to new claimants in February. Those on it are being reassessed to see if they are fit to work, or can be helped to become so. Employment minister Chris Grayling said reform was needed to stop people being trapped on benefits until they die.