‘This ludicrous campaign is all part of Prime Minister Cameron’s equally ludicrous campaign to “pay down the deficit”; it is though a false economy, one that is doomed to result in not only greater cost for the Government, but in human tragedy, as with the man who was waiting for the heart operation, and is now, alas, waiting no more’ ~ writes Alexander Baron
In this era of austerity, all governments have been swinging the axe. In Britain, people on disability benefits are one of the prime targets.
In this half hour programme, the Panorama team take a long hard look at where the axe is falling. It begins with the claim – undoubtedly true – that the government has contracted out the assessment of disabled people and others unfit to work to the French company Atos Healthcare, for around £100,000,000 a year.
According to David Cameron, almost £1 in every 3 is spent on welfare.
He doesn’t say how much is spent on servicing the national debt, which could be dissolved if Britain and every other country printed its own currency
The programme is called Disabled or Faking It? and can currently be found on iplayer, for those who can receive it.
There are two extreme views of disability claimants, and clearly neither of them is right. There are some people – few in number – who are playing the system, but the vast majority are not, although the former often receive considerable publicity.
Chris Grayling MP, one of the people who is on the case, makes the rationalisation that the Government’s current programme is aimed at bettering the lot of those people who can get back into work, saying they will be much better off. But will they?
One person who is definitely not faking it is the former lorry driver interviewed here who contracted chronic emphysema in 2009. At one point, his wife was told he had two days to live. He survived that but was and still is, clearly, not a well man, but he was told by Atos Healthcare that he was fit for work, a claim with which his own doctor disagreed profoundly.
Fortunately, on appeal, common sense prevailed, but says Panorama, his case is far from unique. Chris Grayling appeared none too impressed with the myriad such successful appeals, but clearly Atos Healthcare is agenda rather than evidence driven, at least in this field. Among the others it found fit for work was an unfortunate young woman who had been diagnosed with a particularly acute case of arthritis.
Panorama recruited two claimants to film covertly during their Atos Healthcare assessments. One was a young woman who suffers from fibromyalgia; the other was the chronic emphysema sufferer alluded to above, who was on his third assessment. At the time this programme went out, this man was readmitted to hospital.
Another man who had been found fit for work in spite of being on the waiting list for a heart operation, died 39 days later. Sadly, his case is by no means exceptional. Yet another man had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act, and guess what Atos Healthcare said about him while he was still in hospital?
The Government’s claim that neither they nor Atos Healthcare are working to targets is thus exposed as facile nonsense.
This ludicrous campaign is all part of Prime Minister Cameron’s equally ludicrous campaign to “pay down the deficit”; it is though a false economy, one that is doomed to result in not only greater cost for the Government, but in human tragedy, as with the man who was waiting for the heart operation, and is now, alas, waiting no more.
However we can, the humane and caring sector of society (i.e. every individual who believes in human rights, and in the equal value of each human being) must join to defeat this unacceptable cruelty.
Pardon me but is this not a misleading statement “giving control to patients and helping them choose how to manage their health” o’ yes finding them fit for work when it is very clear they are unfit for work GOD I hope they never get to run the NHS if this is there approach of improvements in healthcare.
I’ve had the pleaser of filling in there forms I am not looking forward to there not so medical assessment where they ask ridicules questions but dote give a full medical examination, my illness is partly mental and vesicle my brain my work well sometimes but it also has bad moments of depression and anxiety, I may well be able to walk and do day to day tasks but I do so with difficulty and pain, but they will say I’m fit for work because I can press a button because I’m not on my death bed I’m not in constant need 24-7 care, if there was ever a time to bomb something its them!
lies lies and more lies if one could speak the truth atos would not be getting bonuses and dwp would be behind in those figures they want of benefits unbeleavible and this is the goverment also just so bloody madning they get away with daily .jeff3
I wonder how many people did not appeal who were too sick to work, because they couldn’t face it. Sometime in the future, the way this Government has treated the sick and disabled will come back to haunt them. The same goes for new labour.
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e-petition - Stop Unfair Re-assessments For Disabled People
Responsible department: Department for Work and Pensions
Stop the unfair and cruel re-assessments via ATOS for disabled people currently on Incapacity Benefit. ESA is a flawed benefit, and puts terrible pressure and stress on vulnerable people, putting people who cannot work on lesser benefits and applying sanctions. Let disabled people decide for themselves if they can work, they and their carers know best.
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Atos Miracles
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ATOS VICTIMS GROUP
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DWP Examinations Forum
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Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty
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Good Advice Matters
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Inspired By Atos Origin
A Facebook Group for people to post their artwork that is inspired by Atos Origin.
Ouch Too
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Rolling with the Punches Blog
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7 Responses
However we can, the humane and caring sector of society (i.e. every individual who believes in human rights, and in the equal value of each human being) must join to defeat this unacceptable cruelty.
Cameron and his government are scum, pity it was not they who had heart attacks and died, then we could all celebrate and have a party !
Pardon me but is this not a misleading statement “giving control to patients and helping them choose how to manage their health” o’ yes finding them fit for work when it is very clear they are unfit for work GOD I hope they never get to run the NHS if this is there approach of improvements in healthcare.
I’ve had the pleaser of filling in there forms I am not looking forward to there not so medical assessment where they ask ridicules questions but dote give a full medical examination, my illness is partly mental and vesicle my brain my work well sometimes but it also has bad moments of depression and anxiety, I may well be able to walk and do day to day tasks but I do so with difficulty and pain, but they will say I’m fit for work because I can press a button because I’m not on my death bed I’m not in constant need 24-7 care, if there was ever a time to bomb something its them!
lies lies and more lies if one could speak the truth atos would not be getting bonuses and dwp would be behind in those figures they want of benefits unbeleavible and this is the goverment also just so bloody madning they get away with daily .jeff3
Get the Con Dems Out of Office they are the Scroungers and Never Trust a
Politician
Enough is Enough of the Austerity Slavery whilst they live in Luxury
The Attitudes of People out in the ” Wider World ” leave a Lot to be Desired and
smack of those Infected by the Virus of Capitalism Devoid of Humanity
There are too many Collaborating
I wonder how many people did not appeal who were too sick to work, because they couldn’t face it. Sometime in the future, the way this Government has treated the sick and disabled will come back to haunt them. The same goes for new labour.