A WOMAN who has just returned to work after almost three years on incapacity benefit has backed a new Government crackdown.

Joanne Day, 36, said many who claimed benefit could be fit to return to work - a situation ministers have pledged to tackle head on.

The Rhodes Avenue, Blackburn, resident has started a new career as a dental nurse after being out of work since April 2003 with a damaged shoulder.

After the injury - caused by 14 years at her previous factory job - was operated on last November she was helped by Jobcentre Plus in Blackburn, to get back to work.

Now Joanne, who has been taken on by Southworth's, Richmond Terrace, said she couldn't be happier.

She said: "I love what I am doing now, I can't believe this job has come my way, it is a real opport-unity I am meeting new people and I have to think more.

"It was very frustrating and depressing being out of work. I was in a lot of pain so I didn't have an option."

It is believed about 35,000 people - about one in 14 people - claim incapacity benefit in East Lancashire, adding to a annual UK bill of £12.5 billion.

The Government has pledged to get one million of the 2.7 million people on the benefit back to work in the next ten years.

Joanne, who is getting an NVQ qualification for her job, said today: "People should make the effort, if they have an opportunity to work they should do. Some people don't want to work which is out of order.

"There are a lot of people in Blackburn who think they are getting easy money for not going to work. It is definitely worth getting training."

Joanne is one of 10 people who have been helped off incapacity benefit by the Pathways to Work scheme, which has been piloted in parts of England.

Five others have begun as trainee dental nurses, while two have joined school nursing teams and two have been employed as healthcare support workers at GP practices.

Marketing manager for Jobcentre Plus in Lancashire Martin Jones said: "Our agenda is to help people who have been claiming incapacity benefit to take the next step, whether that be into training or work. We have a number of partners to help us achieve that."