More than 800,000 people have been claiming incapacity benefits for more than a decade, it has been revealed.

Government figures showed 806,630 claimants - nearly a third of all those who claim incapacity benefits - have received the allowance for more than 10 years.

The North West was worst affected, with more than 130,000 long-term claimants.

Of the top 10 constituencies for the highest percentage of people claiming incapacity benefit for more than a decade, five were from the North West.

But the worst-hit constituency was Easington in the North East, with 42% of its incapacity benefit claimants receiving payments for more than 10 years.

Welsh constituency Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney and the North West's Wirral South were also badly affected, with 41% and 40% respectively.

The latest figures revealed that a total of 2,643,290 people across the UK claimed the Incapacity Benefit/Severe Disablement Allowance in May 2007.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling, who obtained the figures in Parliament, said it was time for change.