Pubdate: Sun, 20 Jul 2008
Source: Observer, The (UK)
Copyright: 2008 The Observer
Contact:  http://www.observer.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/315
Author: Gaby Hinsliff, political editor, The Observer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

DRUG USERS RISK BENEFIT CUTS

Jobcentre Staff Will Be Able to Withhold Cash and Force Claimants to 
Attend Treatment Programmes

The unemployed will be forced to declare drug or heavy drinking 
habits when they apply for benefits and will have payments cut if 
they give misleading answers, under government proposals which were 
announced yesterday.

Probation officers, prison staff and the police will also be asked to 
share with Jobcentres any information they have about individuals' 
habits so that those deemed to have problem habits can be identified 
and compelled to seek treatment if necessary. Those who conceal drug 
use, or refuse to co-operate with treatment, face benefit cuts.

A leaked copy of the green paper to be published tomorrow by James 
Purnell, the Work and Pensions Secretary, suggests that the scheme 
could start with heroin and crack cocaine users before extending it 
to 'those dependent on cannabis and alcohol'.

But critics said the plans, which emerged just days ahead of the 
by-election in Glasgow East, could catch vast numbers of recreational 
drugs users whose habits were not a problem, while addicts whose 
benefits were cut would simply turn to petty crime. They also raised 
concerns about confidentiality.

'It does look as though government departments will swap information 
in order to ensure that sanctions are more rigorously applied, and we 
should all be worried by this,' said Adam Sampson, a director of the 
UK Drugs Commission. 'If you look at the research about who has taken 
drugs, that includes, statistically, you, me and most of the Cabinet. 
Once you open up these powers they could be applied to anybody.

'And who defines "problem" in this context? The pragmatic behaviour 
on the part of drug users will be to conceal, to evade and to lie.'

The proposals also risk a backlash from traditional Labour voters, 
three days before the by-election in a seat containing high 
proportions of benefit claimants and families on low incomes. However 
Purnell, who obtained clearance from the Labour campaign team before 
publishing it, is said to believe it will be popular among poorer 
voters who often have more draconian views on welfare cheats than the 
liberal middle classes.

The paper admits there are potential 'drawbacks' to the plan and its 
impact would need to be studied, since only half a per cent of those 
applying for the job seekers allowance every year were thought to be 
problem drug users.

But it says that 'making declaring drug use and taking steps [to 
conquer it] a condition of benefit is consistent with the obligations 
on those in receipt of welfare help', and would show the government 
recognised the link between addiction and unemployment.

It estimates there are up to 240,000 people in England on out of work 
benefits who are problem drug users, and that up to 7 per cent of 
incapacity benefit and job seekers allowance claimants are on drugs, 
although only just over 2 per cent are registered with Jobcentres as 
having drug problems.

The paper proposes legislation to require information from police 
drug tests to be passed on to Jobcentres - individuals arrested for 
certain offences in 23 police authorities may be tested for heroin, 
crack or cocaine use - along with information from courts about 
people on drug programmes and information from jails about prison 
leavers with drug habits. This could amount to up to 150,000 people.

Harry Fletcher, of the National Association of Probation Officers, 
said that forcing probation officers to disclose information about 
clients' drug use posed serious ethical dilemmas: 'The relationship 
between an offender and the probation officer would be based on 
trust, so that people would not give information if they think it's 
going to be passed on. And the notion of sanctioning benefits for 
chaotic users means they will just steal more.'

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said sanctions 
would be 'the last resort', and Jobcentres would have advisers to 
decide the difference between problem and recreational users. The 
information would not be passed on to potential employers, she added. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake