Over a million people claim incapacity benefits

[AB Asks]

People claiming they cannot work due to stress, eating disorders, alcohol abuse and anxiety is soaring according to new figures. Over one million people are now living on incapacity benefits due to these disorders. The numbers have soared since Labour came in to power.

Are these people genuinely suffering with mental and health problems? What can cause such a massive increase in people claiming these incapacity benefits for such issues as stress and alcohol abuse?

[allotment10]

that is a hard question to answer, i know of genuine people who do suffer from the above ailments through problems in thier life, things that have happened to them beyond thier control etc, mental health ailments are not something that you can see physically and can be very destroying to the individual, but, then again i have known certain individuals who do "play" the system.But surely it's up to the persons doctor or the investigating doctor for the DSS to sort the genuine ones out from the ungenuine ones.