Leader: Harsh measures will give shirkers a push

MORE than two out of five Scots who are claiming employment and support allowance (ESA) are fit to work and are to be moved on to jobseekers allowance, where they will be required to look for work.

After tests insisted on by the UK government officials found that 43 per cent of ESA claimants north of the Border were capable of working - compared with the UK as whole, where the figure was 39 per cent.

These figures show Scotland has a serious problem in trying to find a way of dealing with large numbers of our fellow citizens who can work and, for whatever reason, are not doing so. The culture of welfare dependency is ingrained and now afflicts several generations. Dependency breeds dependency. It is a cycle which is hard to break.

But broken it must be, and for at least three reasons. First, it is generally acknowledged it is better for people to be in work and earning than out of work and dependent on the state. Second, it is beneficial to the economy for more people to be in employment. Third, the cost of keeping people on benefits contributes to the UK's already huge deficit.

How to break the cycle is, however, difficult. Under Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, the coalition is making a start by insisting people must look for jobs if they can work. If they do not find jobs their benefits are further cut. It sounds harsh but there are jobs available and if, and this is crucial, the unemployed are given proper support it is better for them to be pushed towards employment than continue to be dependent on welfore.