The government's decision to crack down on the disabled took a bizarre turn this week after a man in a coma was stripped of his benefits - because he'd not handed his fitness-for-work questionnaire in.
In a thread on rightsnet.org.uk on Thursday Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit deputy manager Sam Harney noted:
Client’s husband is in hospital in a coma. He was sent ESA501.
Client contacted DWP to explain situation and was asked to obtain letter from hospital confirming he is in a coma. Did so. Was told to send it to ATOS rather than local BDC. Did so. Husband has now received decision letter – yep, as he has failed to return the ESA50 without good cause and is therefore capable of work [he is] no longer entitled to ESA…
The decision is part of a lengthening list of seemingly nonsensical judgements handed down by ATOS healthcare since it was appointed to oversee benefits claims in 2005 – another notable case is that of Larry Newman, who was told to stop slacking and get back to work despite having an incurable lung disease, which killed him just months after his assessment.
The firm has been targeted repeatedly over the last few years by campaigners under the banner ATOS KILLS, with activists pointing to a sharp rise in applications against the decisions being made, with 40% of appeals being successful overall rising to 70% where legal representation is used.
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Oops dunno what happened to the URL there...
WTF!
This left me speechless with anger.
Most likely because ATOS are scum. Perfect example of how stuff over here is farmed out to the private sector so the Tories can screw people more effectively.
not defending the Tories, but wasn't it Labour who first got them involved in doing assessments? And the Tories have merely continued Labour policy? (I'm not 100% sure on my recollection of this, and don't have time to look it up properly now mind)
edited to add: had a quick look on the first mention I find is that they began trialling them in 2005 (http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/news-archive/178-atos-computer-controlled-nurses-to-replace-dla-doctors), then as far as I'm aware Labour's welfare bill in 2007 basically set up the current system, abolishing Disability Living Allowance and replacing it with the Employment Support Allowance, with medical testing
Steven you're right, but Disability Living Allowance hasn't been abolished or even tampered with much in terms of rates and so on - it's harder to get now and you be reassessed more often.
Employment Support Allowance replaced Income Support and Incapacity Benefit - these are being phased out (no new claims, people who were already claiming them being transferred onto either ESA or Job Seeker's Allowance).
You can get DLA alongside other benefits or if you're in work, it's not means tested.
Yes you're right, I got DLA and incapacity benefit mixed up. I believe it was also labour's plan to get everyone on incapacity benefit reassessed and move them on to ESA, which the Tories are just following through with
True.
A friend of mine *with fucking multiple sclerosis for fuck's sake* got chucked off IB. Won her appeal, like, but her new claim is for ESA.