Picture the town of Folkestone on the south coast, a busy port and seaside resort with a population of around 59,600. Or Crewe in the north, famous for its railway junction and manufacturing prowess, with around 72,000 inhabitants.
Now imagine that a figure the size of all those of working age – those between 16 and 64 – living in either of these towns are applying each month for disability benefits.
Let that sink in slowly. Every month the working population equal to one of the UK’s mid-sized towns is claiming that they need help with their daily lives either because of physical or mental ill-health. Put even more starkly, every day around 2,700 of those of working age in a town like Folkestone apply for disability allowances, across age groups and experience.
