Tory govt. plans cuts to benefits of obese and drug addicts
The UK government is planning to cut the benefits of welfare claimants that refuse psychological treatments for obesity and drug addiction.
The British Psychological Society has already criticized the plan, saying it may violate medical ethics.
Jamie Hacker Hughes the President of the society believes that people should not be forced into using psychological treatment, and if they are the treatment will not work.
“It’s a problem firstly because we don’t believe people should be coerced into accepting any treatment, and secondly there is a problem because the evidence shows that if you are trying to change people’s behavior, coercion doesn’t work,” He said.
It is estimated that in August last year nearly 280,000 working-age benefit claimants were suffering from addiction to drugs, and 170,000 from alcohol dependency.
Furthermore, in May 2014, there were 7,440 working-age disability living allowance claimants whose main condition was obesity.
One of the key problems the country faces according to experts is a lack of treatment available for illnesses like obesity.
“When you have got an 18-year-old who is five stone overweight, who’s completely messed up head-wise, and needs help for food addiction, the child really needs psychological support and counselling,” said Jill Tippings, the director of an obesity support group, called Helping Overcome Obesity Problems.
Critics of the government plan argue punishing people with problems of drug addiction and obesity is not the solution. They say It is far more beneficial to help them solve the problem.
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