How to gain a bigger benefit

The Dom Post reports on the increasing number of drug and alcohol addicts who claim sickness and invalids benefits.

More than 5270 beneficiaries receive weekly sickness or invalid payments because of drug or alcohol problems. They are not compelled to receive treatment.

The escalating problem is estimated to cost taxpayers more than $1 million a week.

Data released under the Official Information Act show there are 2540 beneficiaries who have drug abuse listed as their primary reason for being unable to work – almost twice the 1297 listed in 2004.

There are also 2739 sickness and invalid beneficiaries who list alcoholism as the reason they cannot work.

And these are only the official numbers. I understand that in fact a much higher proportion are drug or alcohol addicts but they do not list this as their major cause of disability.

A single person on a sickness benefit aged 25 receives $219.25 a week gross. The invalid benefit pays $277.50 a week.

A lot better than being on the dole, and no having to turn up to job interviews.

Wouldn’t the truly compassionate thing to do, be to require drug and alcohol addicts to get treatment, in return for their benefit – rather than pay them to not get better?