A former benefits assessor has revealed he quit his job after just six months due to widespread abuse of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) system.
Jonathan Richards, not his real name, claims he regularly witnessed people "gaming the benefits system" during his time assessing PIP claimants in the South West of England.
"It was shocking and heartbreaking because I knew that many of the people I saw were lying," the trained paramedic and ex-soldier, told The Sun.
He earned around £45,000 annually assessing up to five claimants daily.
Richards, who served in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq, joined the role after returning from working abroad, seeking a steady job.
After two weeks' training in Bristol, he began conducting assessments in the West Country, often in hotels.
He described how he would observe claimants outside: "I would look out of the window and see them turning up in taxis, get out without any difficulty, pay the fare then walk normally to the door."
Yet once inside, the same people would walk "painfully slowly" and struggle to sit down.
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"I could only report what I saw in the building," he explained.
Richards recounted numerous examples of apparent fraud. One former prison officer arrived with a new plaster cast, claiming severe disability despite Richards having seen her "running around" the previous day.
"One of the checks we had to do was testing strength by getting the claimant to push against my hands. Most of them said, 'I can't, it's too painful'. A total lie," he said.
He described claimants who falsely claimed they couldn't use toilets independently or prepare meals.
Another woman denied being able to lift her arms while actually doing so.
The final straw for Richards came when a fellow veteran claimed PIP benefits. He observed the man arrive walking normally with a folded walking stick, only to hobble once inside.
The claimant said he had PTSD from watching TV coverage of Cruise missiles hitting Baghdad in 1991.
"My blood was boiling," said Richards, who himself suffered from PTSD after being caught in a Belfast bomb blast in 1993.
Richards promptly resigned after this incident, telling his boss he'd "had enough".
"I don't know of many medical practitioners who have stuck to that job for any length of time," he admitted.
He expressed sympathy for genuine cases but frustration with those "milking the system".
"It became personal -- why was I working and paying my taxes for these people to sit on their backsides?" he said.
Richards believes the PIP assessment system needs reform to ensure benefits reach only those genuinely in need.
Find Out More...
Jonathan Richards, not his real name, claims he regularly witnessed people "gaming the benefits system" during his time assessing PIP claimants in the South West of England.
"It was shocking and heartbreaking because I knew that many of the people I saw were lying," the trained paramedic and ex-soldier, told The Sun.
He earned around £45,000 annually assessing up to five claimants daily.
Richards, who served in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq, joined the role after returning from working abroad, seeking a steady job.
After two weeks' training in Bristol, he began conducting assessments in the West Country, often in hotels.
He described how he would observe claimants outside: "I would look out of the window and see them turning up in taxis, get out without any difficulty, pay the fare then walk normally to the door."
Yet once inside, the same people would walk "painfully slowly" and struggle to sit down.
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"I could only report what I saw in the building," he explained.
Richards recounted numerous examples of apparent fraud. One former prison officer arrived with a new plaster cast, claiming severe disability despite Richards having seen her "running around" the previous day.
"One of the checks we had to do was testing strength by getting the claimant to push against my hands. Most of them said, 'I can't, it's too painful'. A total lie," he said.
He described claimants who falsely claimed they couldn't use toilets independently or prepare meals.
Another woman denied being able to lift her arms while actually doing so.
The final straw for Richards came when a fellow veteran claimed PIP benefits. He observed the man arrive walking normally with a folded walking stick, only to hobble once inside.
The claimant said he had PTSD from watching TV coverage of Cruise missiles hitting Baghdad in 1991.
"My blood was boiling," said Richards, who himself suffered from PTSD after being caught in a Belfast bomb blast in 1993.
Richards promptly resigned after this incident, telling his boss he'd "had enough".
"I don't know of many medical practitioners who have stuck to that job for any length of time," he admitted.
He expressed sympathy for genuine cases but frustration with those "milking the system".
"It became personal -- why was I working and paying my taxes for these people to sit on their backsides?" he said.
Richards believes the PIP assessment system needs reform to ensure benefits reach only those genuinely in need.
Find Out More...