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Originally Posted by Jimi
Still waiting are we?
If person collecting disability benefits is declared “fit-for-work” and then the person*dies within six weeks, one might think the medical assessment was probably*faulty.* Or possibly that the person died of spite. When 200 people a week, more than 10,000 a year, die within six weeks of a “fit-for-work” diagnosis, one suspects that the entire assessment*system is faulty. If people can die from spite to the tune of 10,000 per year, the obvious question is “Whose spite is this?”
In Britain, assessment of the disabled — including fit-for-work tests — has been passed to a private company, Atos, a subsidiary of a French company. The assessment used to be done by National Health Service doctors. A family doctor, knowing the circumstances of a family, might be a bit “soft” and — in borderline cases — might err on the side of declaring a person unfit-for-wor. The Atos system uses qualified doctors and a computer aided diagnosis system to form an independent view.
With two hundred people a week dying within six weeks of a “fit for work” assessment there has been considerable criticism of*Atos*and of the Department of Work And Pensions (DWP). Michael Meacher*MP’s speech on 17 March 2013 contains a devastating analysis of failings.
Read more: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/09...#ixzz2eEy02PIW |
This load of UTTER NONSENSE YET AGAIN.
The only figures available and misused for this ridiculous argument are where people ARE STILL RECEIVING ESA. Deaths of those who are no longer on ESA ARE NOT AVAILABLE AND SO CANNOT BE THERE AT ALL. Some of them are yet to have even been assessed by ATOS, others are in the support group. Even whilst appealing you still receive ESA at the assessment rate at worst or possibly the WRAG rate.
From reply to original Freedom of Information request
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Table 3: Claimants leaving ESA between January and November 2011 with a recorded date of death, Great Britain.
WCA Outcome at most recent assessment
Number of claimants leaving ESA with a recorded date of death
Assessment not complete 2,200
Work Related Activity Group 1,300
Support Group 7,100
Total 10,600
Data on the number of ESA claimants that have died following a fit for work decision is not available, as the Department does not hold information on a death if the person has already left benefit.
The Department does not hold information on the number of claimants who died whilst an appeal was in progress.
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