What a backhanded comment, I have a bungalow set in 2/3rds of an acre of garden, my dogs free run all day & border collies need brain exercise far more than physical exercise, I should know I've had working BC's since 1970 & the same goes for GSDs. The Cavaliers are easy. I resent your slide remarks regarding me having a working breed & the underlying implication that I shouldn't have my dogs

I used to be a DHSS fraud officer & rather than thousands of fraudulent Incapacity Benefit claims as you believe the highest rate of fraud used to be order book & girocheque theft &/ or manipulation. When Maggie brought in Housing Benefits the biggest fraud was & still is landlords making false claims for non existent properties(ie property owned by someone else) & tenants. It is big business involving serious criminals. Add to this em[loyers who pay cr*p wages & are involved in false claims to other benefits than IB

I have seen the figures & are you aware that there is more benefit not claimed that is obtained by fraud ?

I've seen life on both sides of the benefit counter & think I have just a little more knowledge that most people on here on & Joe Public

Dont be so bloody ridiculous! I implied NOTHING! I was GENUINELY interested and was going to say I admired you, BUT thought better of it in case you thought I was being condecending. For gods sake Dyane! It was you that rolled off all the disabilities you had, did you expect people NOT to be concerned?

Was I asking for your concern ? I certainly don't need people whose ideas of most IB recipients is spongers

I've paid way more in taxes & National Insurance payments than I will ever get back as benefits

Dyane I feel very sorry for you, I really do

Lets all calm down a bit please.

I see it from both sides of the coin and I do agree that there's a lot of people out there that shouldn't be claiming IB. I do however think that the genuine claimants deserve every penny of it. No doubt that if they could work, they would.

I too claim IB for various different things and I have no problem at all with this new style review. I for one hate being like this. There's sometimes I do feel like I'm sponging off the state

Hi Wolfie.
I never said there were not genuine cases, of course there are, but there are many people who claim because they can but they certainly dont need to. I think most people will welcome any stricter testing, especially those who genuinely need these benefits, but when you watch programs like we do and see people claiming for bad backs etc.. then watch then scaling walls, building and roofing etc.. it strikes a certain nerve with people. I expect it does with the genuine claimants too.

It certainly does with me Dawn. I've known of several folk in the past that claim IB and DLA and it's amazing how thier walking sticks etc. disappear at the weekend

I once tried to claim DLA and because I could walk so far, the told me I wasn't entitled to it. I never did try again

I know this is true. My colleague used to work as a Welfare Rights Advisor and she too, informed me that actually, there is more in unclaimed benefits than is claimed fraudently so I have to ask, what is the real issue here?