More than 100,000 people are claiming around £100 a week in benefits after being assessed as unable to work due to addiction , obesity or stress . They are claiming Employment Support Allowance ( ESA ) , which is awarded to those who have an illness or disability that affects their ability to work . The benefit replaced incapacity benefit , income support and severe disablement allowance with an annual cost to the taxpayer of £725million . Scroll down for video . A map showing where the highest proportion of people claiming ESA for alcohol and drug problems are located in the UK . Now according to new figures in the Daily Star Sunday , 56,000 people with alcohol problems receive ESA , while 36,650 drug addicts are also claimants . In addition 47,990 people with stress are also handed around £100 a week , with 1,780 obese people receiving the benefit . Bournemouth has the biggest proportion of claimants of ESA for people with alcohol and drug addictions , with around one in 14 people in the Dorset town who are handed the benefit abusing alcohol , while one in 20 have drug addiction problems . Other areas with a high percentage of claimants with drug and alcohol addictions include Edinburgh , Glasgow , Aberdeen and Bristol . Meanwhile , the biggest proportion of claimants due to stress is South Hams in Devon , closely followed by Tamworth in Staffordshire and Richmond in North Yorkshire . 1 . Bournemouth . 2 . Edinburgh . 3 . Glasgow . 4 . Aberdeen . 5 . Portsmouth . 6 . Blackpool . 7 . North Somerset . 8 . Bristol . 9 . Manchester . 10 . Inverclyde . 1 . Bournemouth . 2 . Aberdeen . 3 . Edinburgh . 4 . Bristol . 5 . North Somerset . 6 . East Lothian . 7 . Plymouth . 8 . Tower Hamlets . 9 . Oxford . 10 . Bath and North East Somerset . The highest percentage of ESA claimants due to obesity is Sevenoaks as well as Malling and Tonbrige , all in Kent . Jonathan Iasby of the Taxpayers ' Alliance told the newspaper : 'The benefit system is a valuable safety net but it ca n't be a comfort blanket . We need to ensure treatment is available to help people back to work . ' According to the government 'you can apply for ESA if you 're employed , self-employed , unemployed or a student on disability living allowance ' . The initial assessment phase lasts for 13 weeks , during which your income and capital are analysed . Last year , the government claimed more than 100 people stopped claiming sickness benefits every day over 2013 . Bournemouth , pictured , has the biggest proportion of ESA claimants , who receive the benefit due to alcohol and drug addiction . Since May 2010 , when the Coalition took over , there has been a fall of 160,000 people claiming sickness payments . Ministers claim the success is down to the Government 's controversial new assessment regime pioneered by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith . This is due to applicants ' physical and mental conditions assessed to show how it would affect their ability to work is also assessed . Sometimes applicants are asked to undergo a medical examination and are asked about how their condition affects their ability to carry out every day tasks , whether they vary from one day to another and what their normal day is like . Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith pioneered the Employment Support Allowance , which requires claimants to undergo mental and physical assessments . Last year the private French firm that decided whether benefits claimants were fit for work pulled out of its £500million contract after claiming its staff received death threats . Atos Healthcare , which has been accused of making unfair decisions on when sick and disabled people lose benefits , was ordered to review its tests last summer after a Government report found its assessors were of unacceptably poor quality . But the IT company claimed it was pulling out as its staff were increasingly coming under attack while carrying out their work .
Over 100,000 benefit claimants receive Employment Support Allowance . Benefit is paid to those who have an illness or disability and can not work . Figures show 56,000 people with alcohol problems are receiving ESA . Over 36,000 drug addicts are also claiming the £100 a week handout . Bournemouth has highest proportion of substance abuse claimants . South Hams in Edinburgh has the most claimants due to stress while Kent has most as a result of obesity .