Only as sick as the Conservatives want you to be

The Government is considering making it mandatory for those in the Support Group of Employment and Support Allowance to take part in Work Related Activity. Currently such claimants are considered too disabled or unwell to be required to do these activities, they can do them voluntarily. Work related activity can include, not limited to, regular interviews, work experience, job club, training or education.

I don't agree with this proposal anymore than I do those on the Work Related Activity rate doing them. Sick people are no longer allowed to be sick, the Government no longer wants them to exist, they want to change the law so that they don't.

This proposal endangers the well being of those too ill to work. Forcing people to take part in activities decided by someone else to be suitable, won't help people get back to work. Instead it will add to their stress and uncrease their symptoms. Many will attempt to participate for fear of losing benefits if they don't. Disabled people have already had benefits sanctioned in the WRAG for  not attending interviews or activities and among all claimants for not attending assessments with good reason including being in hospital, being too ill, or dealing with family emergency. Some people who have already died have received letters threaning4 their benefits. These propsals will further the serious harm, including thousands of deaths, already done to sick, disabled and vulnerable since the Conservatives turned welfare into open warfare.

Source Evolve Politics

Action not reflection needed

As civil servants faced the UN Committee on the Rights of Disabled People and faced criticism, the Government have pledged to reflect on its failure to engage with disabled people and their organisations.  It is nowhere near enough, and lack of engagement is not the only serious failing

After tens of thousands of deaths, and many more disabled and vulnerable people seriously harmed urgent action is needed to stop further welfare related deaths.

The Govenment has a record of hiding death rates and other information that hides the truth of the dangers of this regime. It is currently pursuing court action to hide a Work Capability Assessment outcome report in order to protect commercisl.inrerests. Those who facilitate this regime should not be protected, those subject to the risks of it must be.

Many of those subject to the punitive regime had genuine reasons for not complying. Some were in hospital seriously ill, even close to death, or they had already died before being sanctioned. Some had appointments cancelled or rearranged by contractors but still face sanctions for not attending the original assessment. Othera had genuine disability related reasons such as mental health that affected their ability to comply, not being able to read letters, or not being able to access assistance with claims. This is meant to allowed for instead many were sactioned. Not having money to pay rent or buy food puts people at serious risk. Many have lost their homes or been malnourished, some starved to death.

A court decison found those needing assistance because of psychological distress should qualify for PIP, or get increased payments. The government response was to change criteria to exclude those claiments from PIP. Other such changes have been made when Government decided too many people qualified under equipment provisions.

Many Government policies involving cuts  have been aimed at disabled and vulnerable people and despite many demands the Govern refused to carry out a culmative risk assessment.

There were concerns about the effects of the WCA expressed, and known to the Government they were ignored, many claimaints paid the ultimate price.

David Gauke, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, lied in parliament only recently that PIP appeals were low, on the day they reached record levels. Around 2/3 are successful. They clearly want to hide the fact the system is failing, and more so that challenges to it are mainly successful.

The time for reflection is over, there must be speedy and definite action to correct a system that causes serious harm to those it is designed to support. The welfare system itself is not fit for work. This must stop, there must be no more deaths.

Source Disability News Service

No more welfare deaths, act now

David Metcalf had  mental health conditions that meant he could not work for nine years. He was found dead on a beach after his sickness benefits were stopped.The coroner gave an open verdict unsure if Mr Metcalf had meant to enter the water. He had recently been seen by mental workers and police after concerns were raised after  he gave personal documents to someone saying he didn't need them anymore. I hope he rests in peace.

He is just one of tens of thousands of people who have died shortly after their benefits have stopped. Some committed suicide, some died of their assessed conditions, having been assessed as fit for work, or having lost disability benefits because they were no longer deemed to have the appeopriate care and mobility needs to qualify. Many thousands more hsve suffered serious harm for the same reasons, either by self harm or because their assessed conditions have worsened through being made to seek or undertake work, or not having the care or mobility support they need. How many more will be allowed to die or be harmed?

The Government know that concerns have been raised about the WCA the test for ESA, and that appeals against PIP decisons are at their highest levels with around two thirds having benefits reinstated or increased. The Government is being investigated by the UN for human rights abuse of disabled people. The Government have, and continue to hide damaging welfare statistics that would tell the truth about their dangerous regime.

If this isn't enough for them to be stopped nothing ever will be. If people aren't angry enough to fight for rights it will be too late. There must be no more deaths, too many have paid with their lives. Nobody can predict if they will ever need the support of the welfare state, if we don't act now future claimants may not survive the experience.

Can't work is not won't work

Some people on Employment & Support allowance  are sqnctioned for up to 6 months if they don't or can't take part in work related activities deemed suitable by Job Centre staff or their appointed providers. ESA is paid to those unable to work due to disability or illness with those in the work related group, WRAG, assessed as able to take part in certain activities and deemed likely to return to work within 6 months In reality its anyone who does not score 15 points in any one section of the Work Capability Assessment, regardless of how many points they get above 15 over the whole assessment. These are still often significantly disabled people.

These activities can be anything that the worker decides is appropriate, it may be work schemes, education, training or anything else judged relevant to your situation. Your benefits can be sanctioned if you do not participate.  In short people already too ill to work are punished if they do not do activities similar to those demanded of unemployed people. This on  top of changes that mean that from  earlier this year  new ESA claimants  in the WRAG now get the same amount of benefit as Jobseekers Allowance clainmants,  a cut of £30 per week.

I have long thought that the Conservative Government saw those that can't work in the same  light as those that won't. Certainly this appears to be proof that they view those with heath conditions as simply unemployed. Whilst in reality the effects of significant and/or longstanding medical conditions mean that finding and keeping work is a major challenge for many people if they are able to work at all. Forcing people to do activities they do not feel, or are not capable of, puts them at risk, both from the effects of the activity, and from the fear of what will happen if they do nor comply. 

Many thousands have already died or been seriously harmed by Conservatives welfare policies, this regime also puts people at serious risk. The government must now be held accountable for its actions and failure to keep its pledge that those unable to work would be supported.

Note Those in the Support Group of ESA receive higher benefit payments and do not have to participate in work related activity.