People in Sussex are far more likely to be approved for sickness benefits than other parts of the country, it has emerged.

A bizarre ‘postcode lottery’ suggests claimants were more than twice as likely to receive Employment Support Allowance (EMA) in this area than in Newcastle, South Wales or St Helens.

Mental health charity Mind said the ‘huge variation’ undermined the Government’s claim that the test was fair, and called for an urgent review into the process.

Claimants face a controversial skills test, called the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), which has been condemned by charities, before being approved for EMA, which replaced incapacity benefit.

People already receiving the allowance face being stripped of their benefits if they are deemed fit for work after assessments, which are carried out in centres run by Atos Healthcare.

Across Britain, between October 2008 and August 2010, the most recent data available showed 10% of people tested have been put on the full benefit, which is worth up to £99.85 a week for over 25s.

But information released under the Freedom of Information Act reveals that the two regional ‘delivery centres’ in Sussex approved 50% more applicants than the national average.

A total of 15% of people tested in both the Wor thing and Hastings centres, which also cover Brighton, Hove and the rest of Sussex, passed the test – the second highest total after Preston, in Lancashire.

And just 52% were deemed fit to work, compared to a national average of 64% – and up to 78% in Newcastle.

Officials from the Department for Work and Pensions insisted the disparity could be due to ‘statistical variation resulting from the relatively small numbers of cases involved’, and said the trends could change as more people were tested.

But Paul Farmer, Mind chief executive, said: “The huge variation in WCA outcomes by area suggests that where you live might determine whether you are found fit for work as much as how well you are.

“This undermines the government’s claim that these assessments are reliable and fair, and suggests that these vitally important decisions are often dependent on the quality of the assessors in your area.”