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Theresa May has been forced to abandon a Tory election pledge to stop fat people’s benefits if they don’t lose weight after a major report said the scheme may be unethical and would not work.

The Government-backed study also dismissed Tory plans to slap alcoholics and drug addicts with benefit sanctions if they fail to seek treatment for their conditions.

David Cameron had announced the eye-catching proposals in the run-up to the 2015 election, in a bid to make the Tories look tough on welfare.

But report author and health expert Professor Dame Carol Black said there was no evidence that simply forcing people into weight-loss or addiction treatments would actually help them find jobs.

She said senior doctors had warned of the “legal and ethical implications” of the plan and that the threat of sanctions could simply cause people to hide their conditions.

(Image: Getty)

“We are clear that benefit claimants with addictions should, like all other claimants, do all they can to re-enter work,” her report said.

“However, we doubt whether mandation of treatment should be the first response.

“Further, there is a strong consensus that mandating treatment would lead to more people hiding their addiction than reveal it.

“We also heard from health professionals serious concerns about the legal and ethical implications of mandating treatment, and whether this would be a cost effective approach.”

Prof Black pointed to studies showing the majority of people who do sign up for addiction treatment programmes are still unable to find jobs at the end of them.

She said employers were reluctant to take on people with a history of health or addiction problems, and that the Government is failing to offer such people “specialised support”.

(Image: PA)

Downing Street today confirmed it was abandoning the plan, with Mrs May’s spokesman stating: “Withdrawing benefits from obese people is not under consideration.”

However Prof Black warned “there is some evidence” that fat people are being discriminated against by employers, and called for the Government to “urgently” commission further research into the link between obesity and employment.

And she said job centre staff should encourage obese people to attend health clinics “when their obesity is a barrier to work.”

Debbie Abrahams, Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary, said: “Dame Carol Black has looked carefully at the evidence and concluded that addicts should not be mandated to treatment, as this would not improve employment outcomes or meet serious legal and ethical concerns.

“Instead, the Government should now look at using Dame Carol’s recommendations to better support people with addictions through the health service and social security system.”