DARRYL Wilson, a DUP councillor in north Antrim, has raised an important and rarely considered problem with disability benefits – the burden unjustified claims are placing on the health service.

In a social media video, he notes that 230,000 people here are claiming Personal Independent Payments (PIP), far more per capita than in the rest of the UK.

Cllr Wilson says this shows the system is being “abused” and that to support “fraudulent claims”, people “make countless GP appointments, countless hospital appointments and get hugely expensive prescriptions day and daily”.

The councillor is brave to raise this issue, as he may not be thanked for it by many voters or by the medical profession.

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Doctors want to be kept out of arguments about the benefits system, in case they are drawn into a policing role that would be difficult, distracting and unethical.

Use of the word ‘fraud’ is possibly unwise, although the frustration behind it is understandable.

A system that has run so badly out of control has fundamental design flaws only government can fix.

Blaming claimants is neither useful nor accurate. ‘Unjustified claims’ would be a better........

© The Irish News