WHILE there might be some comedic aspect to the sorry tale of the benefit cheat who was claiming incapacity payments while maintaining a career as a tribute act of the pop star Robbie Williams, it is in fact a very serious matter.

The welfare system in the United Kingdom is the envy of the world, and we sometimes do not appreciate how lucky we are to have it – many other countries do not operate anything like it.

The benefits system is a safety net for those who are unable to work and earn money for the basics of living – food, shelter, clothing and heating. Those who seek to cheat the system are stealing money from the state and, given that we are a country still operating an austerity economy, might be taking benefits away from those who truly deserve them.

Not only that, but they risk tarring with the same brush those who are genuinely in need of state help because they simply cannot work due to illness, injury or proper incapacity.

There are more than enough people in this country who view all those on benefits as scroungers and idlers, and while this is simply not true in the vast majority of cases, instances such as this do nothing to help that attitude.

It is quite right that benefit cheats face the full weight of the law and can risk going to prison for what is, pure and simple, theft.

Either a person is genuinely unable to work and thus deserves the help of the state, or they are fit for employment and should be working to help the economy. No-one can claim to be in both camps.