Benefits 'are way of life for many'

The extent of claimant culture in the West Midlands can be revealed today, with a damning report warning "the benefits system has become less a safety net than a way of life" for thousands of people.

Councils across the region have set out the scale of the problem as the coalition government promises to get tough. In Sandwell more than 36,000 people are claiming out-of-work benefits including incapacity benefit while 13,136 are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, latest figures show.

In Wolverhampton 30,490 residents are claiming benefits including 11,532 on the dole.

Almost the same number are claiming in Dudley and Walsall, with 10,500 claiming jobseeker's allowance and 29,000 on out-of-work benefits in each borough. In the Wyre Forest, 9,390 are claiming out-of-work benefits and 2,448 are on the dole.

A report on Dudley Council's website says in some areas of the borough almost a third of residents are dependent on state support.

It states: "For many of these residents, particularly those on incapacity benefits and income support, the benefits system has become less a safety net than a way of life".

Deputy council leader Councillor Les Jones said: "We need to change the system so people are not discouraged from taking work because they would lose all of their benefits," he said.