40,000 drug addicts use benefits to fund habit

Published on Wednesday 11 February 2009 21:21

NEARLY 40,000 drug addicts in Scotland are spending benefits on heroin, cocaine and other illegal substances, a new survey has revealed.

The NHS study found that 67 per cent of addicts admitted using child benefit, job seekers' allowance and other benefits to buy their drugs.

Meanwhile, 27 per cent – about 15,000 of the estimated 56,000 heroin addicts in Scotland – said they committed crime to feed their habit.

The results have sparked calls for the UK government to push ahead with controversial plans to reduce benefits to drug addicts who refuse to seek help to go "clean".

Proposed legislation that would threaten drug addicts with loss of their benefits if they did not access treatment to help them get into work is currently going through Westminster.

The move is opposed by many drugs groups and the SNP administration in Scotland.

But Neil McKeganey, professor of drug misuse research at Glasgow University, claimed the figures showed that taxpayers' money was going "straight into the hands of drug-dealers".

"This raises serious issues of concern about the appropriateness of providing addicts with cash benefits.

"There is neither any advantage to the individual nor to the wider society when those individuals are simply using their benefits to buy drugs."

Critics of the UK government's plan say that the families of drug addicts will suffer the most if benefits are withheld.

Another criticism of the plan – that it will lead to more crime – is also rejected by Prof McKeganey. "It is not the job of the benefits system to reduce crime. That's for the police," he said.

The survey results indicate that hundreds of millions of pounds of benefits are going into the illegal drugs trade.

The proportion of users who spend benefit money on their drugs ranged from 81 per cent in East Ayrshire to 40 per cent in the Highlands.

The link between drugs and crime was highest in Angus, where 53 per cent said they committed offences to fund their habit.

And the strong link between drug abuse and unemployment was highlighted by another statistic – only 18 per cent paid for their drugs with legitimate earnings. The same percentage said they borrowed money to buy drugs.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We share the view of many experts, including the UK Drugs Policy Commission, over the lack of evidence that confiscating benefits is likely to be effective either in treating addiction successfully or reducing crime.

"Motivation is key to achieving successful treatment and there is evidence that withdrawing financial support from drug users can have a negative impact on their families."