On Benefits: 90 Years & Claiming

The stories of four people who have spent a total of almost 90 years on benefits. They include Greater Manchester couple Irene and Steve, who between them have been claiming for 70 years. Irene suffers with agoraphobia, and until recently husband Steve received a care allowance to look after her, but after a recent assessment their money has been cut by £6,000. Plus, a 49-year-old woman who once worked in the benefits office, only for her arthritis to leave her relying on the system, and a 57-year-old Navy veteran who suffers post-traumatic stress disorder after his experiences in the Gulf War