As a disabled person, I am slightly concerned about all the hubbub over ‘benefit fraud’. Listening to radio five earlier, I got the strong impression that people thought that most of us who claim DLA are slackers. Putting aside my own tendency to slob in front of the television of an afternoon, may I tale this opportunity to refute that allegation. We are, for the most part, very industrious: two CP-ers I know run their own companies, one writes for disability now, and one woman with mobility problems is a professional musician.

This is not to say that we do not need the DLA. It is of great help. However, it is very hard to live off the DLA, and I daresay none of us would choose to live off it. I get agitated when I hear of able-bodied people claiming falsely too – the money that costs is enough to fund something like 9000 nurses – and the people who do so should be brought to justice. In part, such behaviour gives rise to anti-disabled feeling: we are tarred with the same brush as the benefit cheats, and accused of not pulling our weights. In extreme cases, people have suggested we walk funny and drool on purpose. Thus, benefit fraud should be stopped, and a part of me favours jailing the culprits. It hurts all of us, both economically and socially.

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