ALMOST 200,000 North West men are claiming incapacity benefit despite being fit for work, a new study has revealed.
Sheffield Hallam University researchers found the region has the highest proportion of the male workforce in receipt of the welfare cash for disability, who should be claiming dole.
The North West comes top of the league table with 175,000 claiming incapacity benefit despite being able to work.
Across the UK more than half the men who receive the welfare cash could be in jobs.
The study for the Government's Economic and Social Research Council showed up to 850,000 of the 1.45million men claiming the main state disability benefit could be expected to hold down jobs.
If they were working, this would save about £3billion a year, equivalent to a cut of 2p on income tax.
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