How many hundreds has Atos Healthcare killed so far?
September 20th, 2012Last Thursday I used an Adjournment debate I had won in the Common ballot to raise the tragedy of one of my comnstituents, Colin Traynor. He was diagnosed with grand mal epilepsy at the age of 14 months. At the age of 25 in 2008, striving to be independent, he was interviewd at Oldham Jobcentre to try to find an employer who would be willing to give him a job. Remploy was contacted, but assessed his condition as so severe that he was deemed unemployable. In August 2011 he got a letter from DWP, again summoning him for a medical assessment. On the Atos Healthcare work capability assessment scale he was awarded 6 points, but told he needed 18. He was judged fit for work, and for that reason was told by letter on 19 December that his Incapacity Benefit was being cut by £70 a week. Colin worried he would lose his home, not be able to pay his bills or even afford food to eat. His health deteriorated, his seizures increased due to stress, and he lost a lot of weight. On 3 April this year he had a massive seizure that killed him.
This is far from an isolated case. After my speech in the House I received several other similar heart-rending accounts by email. I quote from two:
“I was sent to an Atos fit-for-work assessment medical. I was unwell at the medical and pointed out I have had 7 heart attacks, 2 of which were within the prior 18 months. At the medical the doctor took my blood pressure with a machine and it read 174 over 145. She said That’s high, so took it on the othjer arm, and it read 172 over 142. Then the doctor said The machine must be broken, you look fine to me. That is the first time I have known a doctor to see visually that a person’s blood pressure is fine. As I walked out, I asked for my taxi fares, and was told I am not entitled any. As I walked to get a taxi, I got about 50 feet from the medical centre door and had a heart attack…..10 days after the medical I was allowed home (from Hospital), only to find that I was found fit for work in a letter and all my benefits were stopped”.
“I have been fighting for 18 months now for DWP to accept that my clinical depression rules out my capacity to work for the foreseeable future………How many people who have been mentally ill for 15 years or more have found lasting jobs after being forced onto JSA? The real purpose of this process is to force mentally ill people to live on less money and ‘look for work’. In my opinion every Conservative and Liberal /democrat minister is guilty of murder. I am 52, and have never been so terrified (literally terrified) of what this government will do next”.
September 20th, 2012 at 11:45 pm
Many many have died and others still have become worse health wise. I myself sought help for my heart attacks and heart condition and then in the ensuing run around and extra stress I now have diabetes and also suffer from depression. I blame ATOS and the DWP for making my condition worse. Needless to say during the process I had no help or assistance and made it through a cold frozen winter without warmth or the right foods. I am glad you have been fighting for this but a lot more politicians out there need to hear the real human tragedy of deaths and worsening of health
September 20th, 2012 at 11:57 pm
Thank you for writing this. If ONLY other MPs would understand what is happening. It is destroying peoples’ lives in SO many ways. The human toll is heartbreaking. I deal every day with others’ losses, fears and suffering because of this – it is REAL and happening every second of every day. Personally, I get help 7 days a week from social services provided helpers, have an NHS wheelchair and a private mobility scooter. Have been sick and restricted since I was born but done everything I can to help myself. Have never had children because I would be too ill to care for them. Despite this I cannot get any disability monies. I work part time from home – mostly from my bed – in great agony, yet were it not for friends and my retired family – who are VERY poor themselves – I would be on the streets and as I’m paralysed for a large part of every day I would be dead. I need about £200 now to keep my mobility scooter going and will never be able to find that much. These are our lives….
September 21st, 2012 at 12:06 am
Why people aren’t getting very angry over all this is beyond reason. Of course, it doesn’t help that the BBC has been systematically avoiding reporting such stories – aside from the odd Panorama – which they usually follow up the next week with another “Benefit Scrounger” story. I love the land of Britain, but what the Tories are doing just makes me want to leave.
September 21st, 2012 at 12:29 am
I have a relative going through the same, he has worked all of his life, but has recently had three strokes and cannot walk. He too was found fit for work. Appealed, won the appeal but then was assessed again, found fit for work, could not face yet another year, in the end the stress got him. 32 a week die so it is reported all over, they die after being deemed fit for work. 1 a day in suicides either by mentally disabled, or those who could not live with their illness and persecution, hunger, cold, nor see their family suffer these things because of their illness. Indirectly I believe it is murder. There is no justification for it. I am so sorry, I really am. Jim is right. There are not enough MP’s fighting this. And this fact is making many feel abandoned by all Parties.
September 21st, 2012 at 12:41 am
Could we possibly ask for your permission to cross-blog this to our website? We hear many stories like this one almost on a daily basis and feel that our members would be happy to hear that at least one MP is prepared to speak out against these failed Atos assessments.
Thank you in advance
Mr S Preece
Social Welfare Union
September 21st, 2012 at 12:43 am
this inhumane treatment of our most vunerable is manslaughter instigated by our present gvt, the most vunerable paying for the recession, that they did not cause, while the elite are rewarded with less tax to pay, how is that fair, they wont starve ,they wont be forced to give up the right to live independantly and have to go into care, this has to end , where are human rights, why is this allowed to go on…..it has to stop ,NOW.
September 21st, 2012 at 12:47 am
With the Government sanctions being imposed in this report:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/fraud-penalties-and-sanctions-wr2011-ia.pdf
It can only get worse only Tuesday a young male jump of a 4 story building in Portsmouth.
Notice the lies in the report where it says there will be no impact on health and wellbeing and also that it does not infringe on human rights.
Is this Govt for real or am I just having a bad dream.
September 21st, 2012 at 5:07 am
Are you suggesting things would be any different under Labour, the party introduced this testing?
September 21st, 2012 at 9:27 am
Yesterday I received YET ANOTHER Atos letter with form attached.
This will be my FOURTH assesment in 3 years !
I am in the support group but have experience of all 3 groups ‘fit for work’ ‘WRAG’ work related activity group and Support group.
1st year .. 9 points uplifted to 27 on appeal (support group)
2nd year .. placed in WRAG group. Didnt appeal due to stress and illness.
3rd year .. appealed again and uplifted to support group in July 2012 after DWP reconsideration.
Here I am just 12 WEEKS later being HOUNDED AGAIN.
I have spent the LAST 3 WINTERS WITHOUT MY RIGHTFUL BENEFITS.. THIS WILL BE MY FOURTH WINTER WITH VERY REDUCED BENEFITS.
I know whats going to happen.. its happened 3 times before.
September 21st, 2012 at 9:52 am
Kay Fabe – even though I’m not a Labour supporter, I do think that it would be different under Labour. The outcry in the country and within the Labour party were they in power now would force a u-turn and an end to the ATOS debacle. By contrast, as you can see, there is not the slightest peep of any outcry from the ranks of the Tory party.
September 21st, 2012 at 11:44 am
I have been saying for years that people assessing folks who have disabilities, should not be in the pay of the Government or ruled by the Benefits system. It’s not in their interest to turn round and say “Actually this man/woman is genuinely not fit for work,” because they won’t hit their targets and get big bucks for that.
It needs a bank of random health specialists to voluntarily register with a non-government ruled skill bank, and they should be called upon to assess people openly and honestly and not be afraid that they will be further prejudiced by their own findings i.e. that Mr or Mrs Jones is genuinely not fit for work and really does need further state help.
My father suffered a string of strokes for five years and died in 1997, aged just 62. He had worked as a Heavy Goods vehicle driver for over 40 years. He was called to an assessment for work fitness and sat in front of the panel in a wheelchair, unable to sit up right, speak properly, or co-ordinate his movements.
They asked him why he couldn’t go back to work. His partner’s daughter asked the panel “DO you know what he used to do for a living?” They looked at her blankly. “He drove forty ton wagons. Do you really think he’d pass the medical to return to that work?” Superannuated idiots the lot of them.
September 22nd, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Thank you for at least raising the subject. Most M.P.s seem to be turning a blind eye to the effects of this atrocious legislation.
September 22nd, 2012 at 6:06 pm
first off, were in the above does it say about Labour doing things better Kay ? Most know that Labour sort help from a company that already had a very bad track record,when it came to health issues. Its just the way things have been done and how they have been done, that’s worrying a few.
unum/atos with the dwp’s backing have got it so wrong,people are dieing. calums list has the facts you need.
Phil
September 22nd, 2012 at 7:59 pm
Kay are you deliberately missing the point?? The real tragedy is what is happening since mr cameron came into power with insufficient votes.I agree wholeheartedly and more with the plight of genuinely disabled people obviously you do not-politics only eh? just like the present government
September 24th, 2012 at 7:45 am
Things would not have been better under labour and not under Miliband the weak kneed leader of the middle class Party, soon it may change it’s name from Labour to Progress may as well.
I’m going through my medical now the form came it said you should send evidence you have four weeks to get the evidence and send it back, my consultants appointment nine weeks my GP’s appointment six weeks, seems they do not wish to do the evidence, so sent it in will now have a medical, seems I have a bad back, of course doctors call it paraplegia.
September 25th, 2012 at 11:25 am
I’ve had to attend 2 “assessments” & the first time I was found to be fit for work because the doctor LIED plain & simple, the doctor was just a GP or “a jack of all trades” & not a specialist in any illness as such just general everyday stuff.
I appealed with the help of the citizens advice bureau & won because the DWP representative offered “NO CONTEST” after having all the TRUE facts but it took 14 months of hardship to get there before they paid. My second assessment went a lot better because I was seen by a specialist in my particular illness, he was absolutely furious I had even been summoned when it was plainly obvious I’d never work again & he said don’t worry I’ll make sure they don’t bother you again. My advice to everybody that has to attend these kangaroo courts is 1.Always have a witness. 2.Insist on being assessed by a specialist in your illness. 3.Build up a file of all the letters you are sent etc, etc 4.Don’t give up.
September 26th, 2012 at 2:24 pm
When I first applied for ESA, I was told by the advisor from the job centre, ‘Don’t worry when they find you fit for work, which they will as they find everyone with mental health problems fit for work.’ If they find everyone fit for work what are they getting paid for? They aren’t objectively assessing people, just passing the decision making process to the tribunal service.
I submitted supporting reports from my GP, CPN and clinical psychologist, yet these were not considered according to the tick boxes on what evidence was used in making the decision. Instead these were over-ridden by a brief assessment from a nurse. I was given 0 points. On appeal the tribunal found me unfit for work on each of three different factors, (effectively 45 points!) and commented that it was wrong that I had been forced to go through the appeals process. A few weeks later I got another from from the DWP and the whole things started again. I just got my copy of the ATOS report in today’s post. Not one single thing that I said about the problems I have was recorded. The assessor had only included those things that he could take out of context to justify finding me fit for work. For example he says my house appeared tidy. Yet he doesn’t remark that the garden where I used to grow prize winning flowers and vegetables is now an overgrown jungle because most of the time I can’t face going outside because of anxiety about meeting the neighbours or people passing by.
My 85 year old mother lives with me and out of nowhere and completely unrelated to anything he had been talking about previously he asked me, ‘How do you get on with your mother?’ I replied with something like, ‘OK, I suppose’ and he moved on. Apparently that is evidence that I have no difficulty forming relationships.
ATOS assessments have nothing at all to do with helping sick and disabled people back to work, (and never have) but are entirely to do with finding an excuse to avoid paying them benefits. Any system of providing welfare for sick and disabled people which disregards their health and well-being but instead focusses solely on whether they can be found capable of work is fundamentally flawed. The bizarre thing is that being capable of work should not mean people aren’t entitled to ESA as the benefit rules allow up to 16 hours of ‘permitted work’.
September 26th, 2012 at 3:12 pm
I am shocked and surprised at the headline of this article. Is Mr Meacher hiding behind Parliamentary Privilege when he suggests that Atos Healthcare has ‘killed hundreds’? If not, I would expect he will be sued for libel – decisions on benefits are taken by DWP, not Atos, as I know to my personal cost, having had a brain haemorrhage and not being able to work
September 27th, 2012 at 8:17 am
Attended an appeal yesterday for my Girlfriend, It was an appeal against the ATOS medical assessment which she scored no points for, we both share the illness CFS/ME,Fibromyalgia, yet she also suffers from various other illnesses/ailments, Seizures,Degenerative disc disease, Pelvic Congestion syndrome, Severe IBS,Poor circulation,Tietze syndrome,Asthma,Cluster headaches each as bad as the other, her IBS is so severe that almost every food except simple salads gives her painful stomach cramps,bloating, wind and causes her to bleed profusely from her bowel on the rare occasion when she does have a normal defecation.
I’ve been her Partner for the last 1.5 years, yet I don’t remember a single day when she has not been in pain from one thing or another.
Even if she could work, No Employer in their right mind would give her a job,because of all the time off she would require for Doctors appointments,Hospital visits, Rest periods, etc, etc, yet she has been deemed to be Fit for work by ATOS.
I’ve worked for pretty much the last 25 years,(off and on) was working 100+ hour weeks, Night-time Security and was unfortunate enough to get a tick bite that resulted in myself developing CFS/ME,Fibromyalgia, I absolutely detest being out of work, its the worst possible degradation I’ve ever been subjected too.
When we left the building where the appeal had been conducted in front of a condescending judge and a doctor that wasn’t much better, I genuinely felt Violated, It was bad enough being scrutinised and every aspect of your day to day life being ripped apart into minute detail, But it felt like we’d been subjected to a Gestapo “grilling”.
I’ve worked my fingers to the bone protecting various sites in the UK from Terrorists, Yet I’m becoming disillusioned with the UK and the way it treats its Nationals, yet treats Immigrants and asylum seekers with “kid gloves” and showers them with gifts, homes and other benefits when the people who genuinely want to work and are actually Proud to be British, but are going through a tough time in their lives are being made to feel like their liars and cheats.
October 25th, 2012 at 9:17 am
My advice to all is ‘aim for survival’ and write to your MP. We have to hope that the malice that has caused this Nazi behavior will be investigated as malicious crime but until we are clearer on who is to blame for this torture of sick and vulnerable citizens, we must first survive and stay as strong as we can whilst under attack.
October 29th, 2012 at 10:44 pm
[...] How many hundreds has Atos Healthcare killed so far? Last Thursday I used an Adjournment debate I had won … [...]
November 6th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
I heard a rumor that Portsmouth ATOS has ‘cured’ so many incurable illnesses without surgery or drugs, that it is being twinned with Lourdes.
I would advise anyone to take a witness with them as the reports are nothing like the interviews they are based upon.
I was there for three hours, the first spent waiting without being told they were an hour late. Mine was not the only day this occurred. The staff are rude. To those that are dog dependent – Atos head office said ‘We only ‘ave blind dogs’.
Canine partners for independence? No
Epilepsy support dogs? No
Autism support dogs? No
Help for heroes dogs? No
Dogs for the deaf? No.
We only let in blind dogs.
So. If anyone due an appointment happens to have a blind dog – your dog is welcome at ATOS.
Surely assessments could have been done by our struggling for cash NHS with proper doctors and proper staff – rather than donate the money to the French economy.
Nice to see an MP speaking up – but labour has a long way to go to make up for Blair.
An Atos employee has decided he knows more than my GP, and more than the head neurosurgeon at the hospital where I was treated. He examined my feet with my shoes on – guess I am lucky I didnt get charged for a pedicure whilst he was at it. He didnt wash his hands after either.
November 18th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
I have put comments on here before regarding Atos. I received my ESA50 form at the end off last August. I went to CAB and they fill the form in and sent it back. I got the results last week from DWP. I have been put straight into the Support Group of ESA without being assessed by Atos. I am severely disabled, I get high level of both DLA and I got the high Permian SDA. So maybe that’s the reason.
However, my concern now is for all the other people who are having to go through this nightmare of being assessed by Atos, not only once but over and over again. It was your Party who started the whole thing off with Atos about 5 years ago. As far as I can see, if your Party got back in power at the next GE there would be no change. Your Leader, is very much in favor of what happening at the moment regarding Atos and disabled people. So what are you going to do about it?
November 20th, 2012 at 3:34 am
I too have been ‘cured’ bu ATOS apparently. I have COPD and asked the Dr. at my assessment to have the window opened as the room was hot and I found it hard to breath. She told me they were not allowed to open the windows more than half and inch in case people tried to jump. She then told me that she could feel a breeze on her, and checked that the thermostat was off, and told me I should be ok because the meeting didn’t take that long. I asked her if she had COPD and she replied ‘No’, so I asked her how could she judge what I was going through…..Needless to say I didn’t pass my medical. That was in September and here we are in November and last week I was sent to hospital in an ambulance where I was diagnosed with pneumonia.
I originally wasn’t going to go to tribunal but was ‘gobsmacked’ when I had a call from the Job Centre telling me to put in an appeal as they didn’t have any companies willing to take on long term sick people.
I never had any meetings with the DWP telling me what to expect from the ATOS medical. I just went on what had happened before when I had one and was awarded 20 points and told I couldn’t work. I never was asked to provide any medical reports either so how can an a fair assessment be made?
December 6th, 2012 at 9:21 am
Hi from New Zealand,
I saw your link on the Black Triangle FB page. I think you sound like a wonderful MP. Thank you for all the work you do for the disabled.
Delia
December 16th, 2012 at 7:44 pm
It is thought that nearly all GP’s oppose these Atos health tests. GP’s know what is going on with Atos. Many have already died as a result of these assessments. Yet, Iain Duncan Smith still says he is ‘proud’ of people losing their disability benefits. What a an arrogant man he is, and a nasty one at that.
January 3rd, 2013 at 2:09 pm
i have had all my benefits cancelled becouse of a late posted assesment. i have 2 hernias and any stretching can make it worse. it is alright blaming ATOS but what are our GPs doing. they are declaring us unfit for work and being overruled by nurses, not doctors. what they are doing is illegal becouse they are denying us our right to the money THE LAW says we need to live on. the only thing the MPs are concerned with is deflecting the limelight away from their expenses and lobbying incomes. is there anyone out there who can legally help or are we all just interested in a good sob (soap) story
January 4th, 2013 at 12:49 pm
To Jason Evans:
If you got your illness from a tick bite, have you been tested for Lyme Disease, which is a CFS-type condition spread by tick bites? Lyme can be treated, even cured, by long-term antibiotics. (Beware: the NHS tries to cut corners and prescribe antibiotics for only 2 weeks (and then accuses you of having depression etc when it doesn’t work). This is not long enough, the meds are needed for at least a year to eliminate dormant bugs and prevent them coming back.
January 9th, 2013 at 9:37 pm
Several years ago, I had two assessments done for my Incapacity Benefit. Both assessments were done by Doctors and I was deemed unfit for work. Now, after an ATOS assessment done by a so called nurse, it has been decided that I will be fit for work in three months. The assessor even said that I had good grip in both hands. This was never checked. However, on reading the full assessment, the way she ‘checked’ my grip was that I could grip a piece of paper in both hands. As I have arthritis at the base of my left thumb, gripping a cup or anything other such thing is absolute agony. Also, the assessor spent 5 minutes admiring the earrings I was wearing!!
The sooner that the Welfare Reform Act 2012 is repealed, the better.
Also, there is a Canadian man who has contacted the International Criminal Court in the Hague to see if Ian Duncan-Smith, Chris Grayling and Maria Miller can be prosecuted for their actions over this act. Let’s hope that they are.
January 16th, 2013 at 8:05 am
My wife and I live out in the sticks and have a neighbour 1 mile down the lane who lives alone in a tiny cottage. He is now 65 and had milked cows 365 days a year since he was 14 never had a holiday or even a week off in his life. He has literacy and numercy problems and no social life whatsoever. When he 64 he started with Parkinson disease, we realised he was not registered with a doctor, so we arranged this for him. He became so bad he could nto hold a knife and fork and we worried about him using a kettle hence being scalded as a result of his uncontrolable shaking.
As he had no income we helped him apply for some form of benefit from the DWP and we filled in the forms for him as he can’t write. He was invited to attend an ATOS assesment. again we took him along for this. I thought it prudent to go into the assessor and explain his condition as his problem affects his speech and his hands and head shake continually. She said she would take what I said into account. We could not believe he scored no points. Two months from his retirement age 65 we were speechless. Icould not help myself I telephoned the DWP and chewed the ear of some poor undeserving member of staff, I asked what they were playing at, this man is very very ill and needs help. I think I got through as they awarded him some ESA payment for the remaining two months before he received his pension, we also had to sort that out for him. It’s heart breaking to witness such inhumane treatment. This poor man should not have been put through that experience it is bad enough being diagnosed with Parkinson disease treated by a neurologist Consultant and then to be told by some half-wit so called medical assessor who could not even speak english or be understood tell this poor man he is fit for work. Disgusting God help us all.
January 17th, 2013 at 3:47 pm
What annoys me is that they reduce people’s benefits in winter when fuel bills are higher. The DWP don’t realise that we have the same bills to pay out of less money. Therefore, people get into more debt which is worrying.
If an appeal is upheld and they pay people back what they owe them, they should pay interest on this amount as the government will have received interest on the money they have robbed from people.
January 24th, 2013 at 12:16 am
Thank you Mr Meacher for having the decency to make a stand on this shocking issue. So very, very sad that you seem to be almost a lone voice amongst politicians of any party prepared to do so. My own case is not as dramatically ghastly as some I know of, but being put through all the stress courtesy of ATOS and the DWP has had me struggling withsuicidal thoughts (a very real concern as I’m bipolar). I consider the implementation of this agenda against the most vulnerable tantamount to a crime against humanity.
I believe it is a matter of record that coroners have cited the stress caused by ATOS assessments as a key factor in the suicides of sick and disabled people. Shame on our country. If this isn’t stopped we have nofight to call ourselves civilised.
January 24th, 2013 at 12:21 am
Sorry, that was meant to read “no right to call ourselves civilised. I’m stressed out by it all….
January 29th, 2013 at 3:08 pm
Just reading some of this its shocking my girlfriend is 5 months pregnant and has been on esa for a while as she had depression at first and it was actually her jobcentre advisor that advised her that she should be on esa then she fell pregnant and has suffered from severe morning sickness all throughout it and bad backache aswell so it has been hard for her and yet atos decided she was fit to work even though she is constantly vomiting now and anti sickness have no effect its a disgrace her doctor and midwife and even a jobcentre advisor realise she’s unfit to work yet atos in all their glory decide she can work something needs to be done people won’t stand for this much longer
January 31st, 2013 at 6:38 am
My GP considered me not fit for work for 2 months. My benifit was suspended then until they (jobcenterplus) went through an unbelievable amount of bouncing me from wall to wall before anyone understood the situation I was in. BUT I did recieve in the midst of all this a form to fill in from Atos – they were VERY quick on the ball.
Just too weeks later after returning the form I received a letter for an assessment with a Atos ‘healthcare professional’, even though the appointment comes after my sick note expires.
My appointment is before the Manchester Medical Examination Centre, Bridge St, room 102, which sounds formidible.
It seems to indicate that the ‘assessment’ would be more like an inqusition ordeal, which is loaded against the individual which I won’t be a party to – this cavalier freebooting by these third party companies is abhorrent.
Atos Healthcare won’t get a fee from my participation, I guess the govenment wins either way – we loose.
February 5th, 2013 at 12:19 pm
I used to think this was a decent country not any more.Atos should be ashamed of themselves as should the people that support them as one person said before God help us all as no one else will!
February 11th, 2013 at 6:10 pm
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February 12th, 2013 at 9:55 am
While I agree with many of the sentiments expressed about the disability assessment process, I feel it is worth pointing out that the present government are only progressing something which was instigated by New Labour. One only needs to scratch the surface to find the Conservative Party and New Labour are more or less one and the same.
February 13th, 2013 at 3:55 pm
I have my second assessment at Liverpool ATOS on 14th February – at least it’s a day out! – following a disastrous appointment first thing in the freezing cold morning right before the blizzards at the beginning of January. I called to confirm my appointment the day before and was told to turn-up at least ten minutes early. After an hour waiting in a chilly basement waiting room I was told to go home as, and I quote verbatim, “You have to see a prop- erm, a doctor, we’ve only got nurses today, your’s is a real – your’s is a doctor appointment, it’s more of a specialised case and we haven’t got any doctors rostered on”
I have been in receipt of Incapacity Benefit for 21 miserable years and my condition has worsened and been is now supplemented with absolutely debilitating neurological problems, too. I am also depressed but always put on a brave face and my GP doesn’t want to label me as a depressive because if you give the person a label they live up to it.
I had my benefit stopped on 24th September 2012 and have not received a penny since. My ex partner has been alternately vile and lovely, begrudging and helpful, and totally fed up with having to support his ex financially.
My new appointment is for tomorrow – hmmm . . . I will let you know how I get on.
February 14th, 2013 at 7:44 pm
The letter I sent to David Cameron was forwarded to the DWP{ without any comments} One of the points they raised was that the Government “support the principle of the Work Capability Assessment but have taken steps to address the reservations that they had, on taking office, about the way it was working”
I don’t agree with Labour in bringing in a private firm but it’s this governments “steps’ that has made the assessment more aggressive. This government immoral promoting that all claimants are scroungers and cheats is now reflected in Atos and maybe the DWP
February 15th, 2013 at 9:47 am
I must say i do admire Mr meachers stance on this, it’s about time someone in the house stood up for those of use unable to work due to ill health or duisability.
However the Labour front bench is nowhere to be seen.
in a speech yesterday Ed made several promises to ‘hard working families’ but not once in his speech did he mention the most vulnerable in society. perhaps its one of the things he intends to see through.
Maybe he needs reminding that almost 3 million of us sick and disabled ‘scroungers’ and ‘ malingerers’ have the vote too and Labour are on very dodgy ground!
Vote for your independent candidates and the party political point scoring end party whips rigging votes forever!
February 16th, 2013 at 11:52 am
A reply from the DWP {to a letter I sent to David Cameron} states “Ministers support the principles of the WCA but have taken steps to address the reservations that they had on taking office about the way it was working” While I did not agree with Labour for bringing in ATOS, or any private firm, it’s the “steps” that this government deliberately took that has made these WCA tests inhuman.
The impression they have promoted that all people on benefits are cheats and scroungers is evidently the attitude of ATOS and DWP. We will never have a fairer society while this government keeps putting people against each other in order to get their unjust, inhuman policies through.
February 18th, 2013 at 2:28 pm
As I got to my medical, I was told there is a delay due to one of the ATOS Doctors being too ill to come in this morning, so a 20-50minute delay (at least) If I attended this late,I would be thrown off ESA and not paid my benefits. Is this delay to allow them to monitor us in the waiting area? To check up on our stress levels and triggers for anger? To see how we can get up to go for a cigarette. Big brother is looking over my shoulder at me as I type into my phone now. Does this ability mean I can work?
February 23rd, 2013 at 9:07 am
Hi
I’ve just spent all morning trying to find out moor about ATOS HEALTHCARE company history
I haven’t found any history yet when i say history
i mean company history all company’s start some where.
All I have is a list of complaints. I started by doing a Google search. The first 4 on the list are ATOS HEALTHCARE web sit then this from Mr Michael Meacher MP then what the BBC have done
Why as ATOS HEALTHCARE still got this contract with D.W.P.
March 3rd, 2013 at 7:42 pm
The Prison Service are using ATOS to their full advantage sending very ill people on multiple assessments until they get the result they want.
The worst example of corporate bullying I have ever come across. Absence management (hounding of seriously ill people to attend meetings and assessments from day one whether fit to attend or not). Threats of dismissal and harassment by ATOS. Worse case seen to date, terminally ill prison warden forced to work until the just before he died for fear of stopped pay. ATOS working in conjunction with the government. Strangely the law seems to be working in favour of the employer in these instances? Absolutely disgusting.
March 14th, 2013 at 4:00 pm
I sometimes think this whole process is an ideological drive to execute anyone who isnt ‘economically viable’.
A member of my partners family died from a heart attach 2 weeks after ATOS and the DWP found he was fit for work. The stress of the ordeal was, in my opinion, a contributing factor to his death.
Now my father is going through the process, he is in end stage renal failure and has recently had a heart attack, he has a long list of other medical problems. Having studied the criteria that ATOS use to asses people I am sure he will be found fit for work, but he physically can not work. We are all very fearful of the future.
When you join the dots of the preemptive cuts of the legal aid for disabled charities who could have defended disabled people, the tragically comical ATOS guidance notes, the impossible points system, the deliberately stressful process and the media demonisation of the disabled… it paints a picture of a very sick society. None of this is ever covered in any detail by the media. This is the most sickening attack on vulnerable people I have witnessed in this country in my lifetime.
March 15th, 2013 at 7:29 pm
I am due a visit in two weeks times which is terrifying me. I am 65 this year so officially i am retired anyway. If they take my benefit away i will be finished and it’s taking a toll on me before i’ve even been seen them, especially after reading the horror stories on here. I am panicking as i won’t be able to cope with that loss. I take no medications from the NHS as they were making me worse. Each new drug gave me 5-7 side effects that even my doctor said to stop taking them.
I found alternatives that were far gentler on my stomach and i’ve been using those for a while now – if they take my money away i won’t be able to afford them…so what do i do. Go back to what was killing me or do without and die in agony? I spend my disability money on my disability. I take nothing from the NHS.
I am my wits end and they haven’t even been yet. I think the fear of the loss is taking it’s toll on all of us.
How can a Govt put people through this, it’s abuse and sounds like time for a Class action lawsuit…they are literally killing people.
ATOS should be shut down pending a thorough investigation as to their methods.
Which Govt minister in Labour gave them this contract…they should be sacked…because they were a failure in the US, so i heard.
March 18th, 2013 at 1:34 am
I have CRPS after suffering a broken wrist. I also have epilepsy but have not has a seizure for over 30 years. The HCP from ATOS laughed when I told him this. I have always been quite proud that my epilepsy has been controlled and have never thought of it as a disability, it has never stopped me from doing anything, but that reaction threw me. I cannot get over it. I have complained but I am getting nowhere. This sort of attitude from a professional is unacceptable and I find it in the so called enlightened times we live in appauling. I suppose all that is left to do is to carry on and say this is not acceptable and this should not be tolorated. My medical was a farse. None of my evidence was looked at and to score favourably you would have to be on your deathbed.
March 25th, 2013 at 7:19 pm
I’m 62 and have been disabled for sometime Crushed my Ankle ,Compressed my Spine Diabetes, Unstable Angina,Thrombosis, Blackouts,Gout 3 Heart attacks, Short of Breath and Incontinent.
I’m on a Heavy dose of Morphine all the time which puts me on a different planet, plus all sorts of tablets and insulin. My wife helps me to get dressed.
The Medical Assessment made by a Registered Nurse States that i will be ok in 18 months and I’m not PREGNANT,
March 27th, 2013 at 7:41 pm
I have just been through the so called medical and can say the Atos HCP examined the wrong part of my anatomy altogether cleary had no idea what the hell she was doing,even more shocking she Lied on her report,criminal offence!.
April 18th, 2013 at 8:44 pm
I have been to atos three times passed one medical failed 2 with 6 point won two appeals i have to go again on monday for the fourth time,what more do there need to know,hate atos just tell so many lies
May 18th, 2013 at 7:53 am
I was seen by two doctors a one was being trained I was a postman for 20 years but had to retire because of ill health.I have been blind in one eye since birth I was asked by the doctor if I thought that just having sight in one eye was different to seeing out of both I asked How should I know as I do not know what it is like to see with two eyes. Just think of it this way if I get something in my good eye I will be near blinded but with two eyes there is still one to see with.