Well I'm gobsmacked

Actually no not really was just an attempt at sarcasm (useless in the written word), but it turns out that about 75% of those on statutory sick pay are actually fit for work.
Express.

THREE in four people on sickness benefits are fit for work or drop their claim before facing strict new tests, shock figures revealed yesterday.
Startling statistics showed that of the 2.6million people on incapacity benefit, a total of 1.9million could work.
A further 17 per cent were found to be able to work at some point with the right support. Nine out of 10 were capable of employment.
After the figures were released by the Department for Work and Pensions, David Cameron renewed his condemnation of how millions had been left languishing on welfare. Visiting a work programme in Wales, the Prime Minister said: “We have left people on welfare for year after year when those people, with help and with assistance, could work.
“So we’re producing a much better system where we put people through their paces and say that if you can work, you should work, we’ll be there to help you with the training and the skills.
“That will be good for them, good for their families and good for our economy.’’ 

One of the things those of us on the (real)* right have complained about for years is that if you pay people enough so that they don't have to work, well guess what, they wont work. In order to disguise the amount of people claiming unemployment benefits,a previous government decided that it might be better to hide them by putting them on sickness benefit which would take them off the books and massage the figures nicely. So we ended up with falling unemployment but a burgeoning incapacity benefit situation where the unemployed actually got more money. In short it paid to be sick, so people claimed to be sick, people being people and always looking to make the best of any situation.
To my mind if we have to have a benefits system it should work in this manner...

1. It's only open to those born here or those who have paid in a minimum amount equivalent to 10 years at minimum wage payments.
2. Unemployment benefit is the absolute bare minimum to survive, you only get housing benefits for the first 6 months after that you're on your own, though if you do take a minimum wage job you will get housing benefits.
3. For those bringing up children and cannot work, you get a variety of benefits paid at an in situ situation. You do not get rehoused or qualify for council housing, that goes to those who are in work. If you are in council housing already, that's fine.
4. Those who are genuinely sick and who will be able to return to the jobs market will get enhanced benefits to make their lives as comfortable as possible until they return to work.
5. Those who due to illness or injury cannot ever return to work will be looked after in comfort by the state for the rest of their lives.
6. Those who retire who have paid into the system a set amount over their working lives get an enhanced pension to keep them comfortable, warm and fed for the rest of their lives.
7. All the above are means tested.

I'm not saying that is a perfect system, it may well need to be tweaked, I probably have missed a trick or two, but it does strike me as being a start, it certainly is better than what is going on at the moment.

* The (real) right being those of us who want small government and low taxes, not fascism, racism or other weird and wonderful things that those on the left believe to be far right.