Jumping before they were pushed - ATOS

[al**bear]

So ATOS want out of their contact with the DWP to run the grossly unfair 'Fit for Work' program

They filled the media yesterday with stories of woe, about threats to staff etc, as  the reason they want out

--------------------------

The Government and  especially Iain Duncan Smiths DWP are furious about the announcement

WHY ?

Because if you 'were in the know' , you already knew ( about 10 days ago) that IDS and the DWP, had a great Plan to save face and gain some street cred ( don't laugh at the back).

They were all ready to dump ATOS from this contract, in a massive media jamboree and try to blame ATOS (yes they deserve blame, but not all of it) for ALL the ills of this despicable scheme, in an attempt to keep the spotlight off, more failures with the new Universal credit roll out and the continuing onslaught from Charities, Church People and even some of their own MPs on this vote loser.

So looks like the leak from inside the DWP reached ATOS Boardroom, as well as campaigners

And they decided to jump before they were pushed, I've heard IDS is apoplectic, they stole his thunder

---------------------------------

It is despicable that Cameron, IDS, Osborne and others are deflecting criticisms on their cuts to Benefits by saying Universal Credit will cover the cuts, it might do, but it will be years before it is in place and, the harm to the poorest is happening NOW

rant over

[al**bear]

Todays news  

Man who was too ill to attend fit-for-work interview but terrified of losing benefits dies after Atos test

------------

A SERIOUSLY ill man died hours after he was hauled into an Atos fit-for-work assessment.

Terry McGarvey knew he wasn’t well enough to attend the hearing. But he was terrified his benefits would be stopped if he didn’t turn up.

He dragged himself to the assessment but had to be taken to hospital in an ambulance. Terry, 48, died the next day.

His brother Charlie, 50, said: “He said he felt terrible and didn’t think he could leave the house.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/man-who-ill-attend-fit-for-work-3177803#.Uwr67TEnUdo.twit...

[guardpig]

Well I too think they jumped before being pushed.  Now I have patience with bureaucracy, try to understand the system, try to accept the vagaries and deficiencies of the people I have to deal with.  Nobody is perfect.

But

when I ring up to find out what is happening to the claim(nothing), query that they have received the form(several months before), query what the timescale for dealing with the claim is only to be accused of trying to jump the queue(wasn't) and when wondering how long the queue was was basically told I wasn't allowed to know, she wouldn't tell me and she wasn't taking any hassle from anybody(bear in mind all i wanted to know was whether i should ring for an update in several weeks or months).  Now this particular lady was the "general help line" - her whole attitude was I am God, you are not even a minion.

Did I get a bad one?.  

Next time I rang I received a polite informative reply - did I believe the information - NO(because I was in a position to know if the information was right).  Did I bother correcting her - NO, because there was no point.  Did make a note in my little black book though.

Then there's the DWP - want a new sick note.  Posted letter on Monday, arrived Weds, had to have sicknote there by sunday or claim closed and have to restart, prepaid envelope provided 2nd class..  At least I could get a same day appointment and afford to send the expensive way!. My fault I forgot but son could not have coped with that timetable!.

Bear in mind this is 8 months after claim put in and nothing heard.

"They could work from home on the computer???,,why not have schemes where they do this. They are paying people to do nothing so they can pay towards organizing something like working from home then!!. For people with Depression or social issues it would be ideal!!." They could indeed or some people could.  My son certainly could BUT not without support which whilst a whole seperate issue is certainly not available, offered or tailored. He also needs a regular income to pay bills which you are not going to get working self employed(which most homeworking jobs are) in the odd days/hours one can actually manage to work.  Support has to come first and that costs money.

[rose2008-2008]

I know of several persons with bad backs,,,bad legs,, who get benefits and actually do work aswell!!!. Then they go out with a stick now and again to make it look good.. Then they say report benefit fraudsters. How do you know its anonymous. Id love to shop quite a few people i know who are getting benefits ,,saying they are not able to work and working for someone who will pay them with no questions asked or told so to speak!.

[lhasa.two]

---

@bitsnknots wrote:

10,600 people committed suicide in the first 11 months of 2011 due to ATOS.

That seems like an enormous amount of people.

Do you have proof to substantiate that claim? 

[bitsnknots]

I was just going off what it said on Wikipedia but if that figure is incorrect, I will be quite happy to stand corrected.

[bitsnknots]

Just found this as well.

http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2012/10/04/10600-sick-disabled-people-died-last-year-within-six-wee...

[aernethril]

Books - the problem with statistics is they give a mixed or biased picture depending on how they are used.

So, not to demean what you are trying to say at all because it still is very important (and an utter disgraceful responsibility by this govt), the figures do need a bit more analysing.

Take the Mirror one - 32 die a week after failing test for new incapacity benefit

 The 32 is a rough figure taken from the next statement - More than a thousand ­sickness benefit claimants died last year after being told to get a job, we can reveal.

There are a lot of very disturbing facts there which cannot be denied, however one - again utterly obscene but does skew the facts  - is that a number of terminally or critically ill people who should never have even been sent to assessments, did die.  Whether they died as a direct result of having their benefits changed or threats of changes or had limited life expetancy anyway then becomes another matter.

The issue to consider here is that whilst a lot of people on benefits did indeed die, many of them within weeks of their claims ending, they did not commit suicide which you did state as a fact.

What I believe is more chilling is whether there is a case for saying that this programme of change is responsible for causing the deaths of many disabled and sick people and that this was done knowingly as it went on for so long, at least unchecked / unmonitored by the govt, if not actually sanctioned.

[bitsnknots]

I added in an earlier post today that I would stand corrected if proved wrong.  I will admit that I should have looked at the facts properly before quoting that.  My sincere apologies.

[aernethril]

It's a good thing in a way though because it's prompted even more (worse) facts to come out of this which should not IMHO be forgotten or glossed over.

I have no hope that this is going to get any better when a new company takes over - in fact I fear it is likely to get worse.