User:CircleGirl/Criticism of ESA and 2015 Black review merger

Entitlement for People with Addictions and Obesity
The number of claimants who are on ESA because of conditions relating to addiction to drugs or alcohol or obesity has been criticised on the grounds that these conditions may be related to claimant's personal choices and that claimants could take action to resolve these issues, which would enable them to work. The Mail on Sunday, the Express and the Telegraph have all reported that very large numbers of claimants were receiving ESA due to substance misuse. In an article in the Express, MP Nigel Mills said: "The better way to spend public money is to help people get past their addictions and get them fit to work rather than paying benefits while they stay addicted." Less than 3.5% have any form of substance misuse as their primary diagnosis, although as many as 11% might have a drug or alcohol problem, if background lifestyle factors are taken into account. Furthermore, in 2016, The Telegraph reported that one in three ESA claimant's main disability was an obesity-related condition. , although, less than 0.1% of people on ESA have obesity as their main disabling condition. In a review conducted in 2015, Dame Carol Black proposed that ESA for people who are claiming for drug or alcohol addiction or obesity- or a condition that is exacerbated by these- should only receive the benefit if they undergo treatment to overcome their addiction or lose weight. Simon Wessely and Greg Smith-a policy analyst at the Royal College of Psychiatrists- have argued that this proposal was against medical ethics and potentially illegal, as it involved coercing patients into accepting treatment.