Thousands of young people in West Midlands on sickness benefits

Thousands of young people in the West Midlands are on sickness benefits, figures reveal.

Ministers said many of the young claimants would have been shuffled on to the old sickness scheme without any long-term view of how to help them get off benefits and into a job.

Data from the Department for Work and Pensions show some 2,140 people in Birmingham aged between 18 and 24 are on incapacity benefit.

In Sandwell and Walsall, 560 young people in the same age group are getting the state hand-out, plus 520 in Wolverhampton and 450 in Dudley.

Elsewhere, 220 young people in Stafford are claiming the benefit, 180 in Cannock Chase, 140 in Lichfield, 100 in South Staffordshire, 160 in Wyre Forest and some 770 in Shropshire.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling said he was shocked at the number of people aged under 25 "parked" on incapacity benefit.

Sickness benefits costs the taxpayer £12.5 billion a year.

Nationally, 99,630 people aged between 18 and 24 — and a further 1,240 aged 16 and 17 — are claiming IB, worth between £67 and £91 per week.

Mr Grayling said it was a sad indictment of the state of the welfare system inherited from Labour.

He said: "We are going to assess everyone on incapacity benefit to see what help and support they need to get them back to work."