’For 30 years, governments have tried to get disabled people into work by toughening up benefit rules. Part of the motivation has been to cut the welfare bill, but it’s also been framed as an attempt to stop disabled people “languishing” on benefits.
‘But the policy has had tragic consequences, particularly for people with mental illness, who have felt coerced and pressured, as the department for work and pensions has deemed them fit for work. Many – maybe hundreds – have taken their own lives.
‘According to a former chief economist at the DWP, “it’s one of the biggest social policy failures of the last 20 or 30 years. We caused an enormous amount of human suffering. We achieved very little, we didn’t save any money and it probably cost more than it would have if we hadn’t done anything.”
‘In this series, Jolyon Jenkins investigates how the policy came about, starting under the government of John Major, which turned for advice to an American private insurance company that became notorious for unlawfully denying the legitimate claims of policyholders in the US.’
Listen here:
Fit For Work by Jolyon Jenkins
An Off Beat Media production for BBC Radio 4
One response
I had to fight the DWP for 3 years before I got my day in court and I won my case my disk had collapsed in the bottom of my spine I had 3 spine injections what never worked and the rvi refused to operate because I might have been left me paralyzed the DWP could have overturned there decision but they refused. When it got to court I was asked a couple of questions and when the Dr said that I take 900mg of gabapentin 3 times a day aswel as other medication she then said that is a very high dosage I told her I usually take it on a morning but I couldn’t this morning because it puts me back to sleep and I won full mobility and last week I got a message in my UC journal they were sending me out another fit for work test I could not believe it my disk in my spine won’t get better and I’ve also got DDD inside my body. Last year I broke my right ankle 2 times in 7 month I’ve now got a weakness in my right ankle and I’ve been diagnosed with anemia and now my battle is starting all over again with lying assesment workers they even said I walked in without my walking stick I can’t walk very far I’ve to stop every 2 meters because of the pains in my spine.