Comments on: The People’s Review of the Work Capability Assessment

By: Iain Duncan Smith losing his temper with Owen Jones

Iain Duncan Smith losing his temper with Owen Jones — Sat, 04 May 2013 19:29:37 +0000

[...] Iain Duncan Smith lost his temper when Owen Jones confronted him with names of people killed by welfare reforms. Read more: http://www.latentexistence.me.uk/iain… Brian Mcardle http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/sco… Karen Sherlock http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/voi… The People’s Review of the Work Capability Assessment http://wearespartacus.org.uk/wca-peop… [...]

By: lilly

lilly — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:39:28 +0000

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOU APPEAL YOU ARE GIVEN 1 MONTH FROM THE DATE OF THE LETTER BUT TO AVOID A BREAK IN YOUR ORIGIONAL CLAIM YOU MUST GET BOTH SENT OF A.S.A.P AS YOU REALLY ONLY HAVE ABOUT 3 WEEKS .
I AM SENDING MY GAREENTEEDED NEXT DAY SPECIAL SIGN FOR DELIVERY, BUT BIZZARLIY ENOUGH BENIFITS IMFORMED MED ME THAT CAN TAKE UP TO 5 TO 8 DAYS TO GET TO THIER OFFICE?????? I THINK SHE MEANS THEY LEAVE THEM AT THE ROYAL MAIL SORTING OFFICE AND COLLECT THEM ONCE AWEEK, IN THE HOPE THAT YET AGAIN WE ARE MISLEAD INTO THINKING ITS ROYAL MAIL, WHEN I HONESTLY THINK IF THEY ARE TAKING OVER A WEEK TO DELIVER NEXT DAY GARENTEED WOULD BE FIND, AND WE ARE EXPECTED TO BELIEVE THE BENIFITS OFFICE LIES ONCE AGAIN

By: lilly

lilly — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:24:00 +0000

I HAVE BEEN ON LONG TERM INCAPACITY SCINCE BEFOR 1995, I BELIEVED THAT IT MEANT YOUR CONDITION WOULD ALLWAY AT TIMES EFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO HOLD DOWN A JOB, I HAVE HAD REGULAR MEDICALS OVER THE YEARS, CARRIED OUT BY PROPPER DOCTORS, MOSTLY SPECALISING IN YOUR TYPE OF ILLNESS.
I DIDNT HAVE A CLUE WHAT THAT QUESTIONAIR WAS ABOUT I WAS GOING THROUGH A VERY BAD PATCH, I JUST RECALL HAVING TO FILL IN YOUR MEDICATIONS AND WHAT THEY WERE FOR, I HAVENT NEEDED DOCTORS STATEMENTS FOR YEARS, OR CIRTIFICATES, SO WHY SHOULD I NOW?
MY LONG TERM CLAIM HAS ALWAYS BEEN FOR ALL THE DELIBATATING AND FRIGHTENING SYMPTOMS AND CONDITIONS OR DEPRESSION, ANXCIETY, PANIC ATTACKS, BUT APPARENTLY NOW THEY DONT EVEN EXCIST, THEY SEEM TO THINK YOU ARE ILLETARATE, HAVE NO EDUCATION, SPEACH PROBLEMS, THE ASSESSMENT IAM APPAUALED AT THE WAY SHE LIED AND MINIPULATED OUT OF ME WHAT SHE ANTED ME TO SEE, SO MUCH ABOUT A BACK PROBLEM THAT IS NIETHERE HERE OR THERE UNDERACTIVE THYROID, WHICH ACTUALLY AT MY LAST PROPPER MEDICAL THE DOCTOR SAID PLEASE HAVE A THYROID TEAST BECAUSE OF THE SYMPTOMPTOMS I WAS COMPLAINING OF, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK HER AS YES I DID HAVE IT, DIABETAS TYPE 2 APPARENTLY APPEARED UNDER CONTROL??? I THOUGHT A UNINE OR BLOOD TEST COULD ONLY SHOW THAT, IT IS UNDER CONTROLD THANKS TO MY EXTRA INCAPACITY BENIFIT THAT ALLOWS ME TO BUY THE EXSPENSIVE FOODS TO KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL, ALONG WITH HIGH CHALESTRAL, BUT ALL IRREIVENT AND ARE NO WAY CONECT TO MY MAIN CONDITION WHICH I WAS ORIGIONALLY AWARDED THE BENIFIT FOR.
IN FACT RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST DRPRSSION, BUT HEALTH FUNKTIONS PROVED NORMAL, I WOULD HOPE SO AS I AM HIGHLY INTELLIGENT, NO MENTION OF ALL THE SYMPTOMS CONDITIONS, NO MEDICATION, OR SIDE EFFECTS, I SAID I HAD TELPHONE APPOINTMENTS WITH MY DOCTOR AND MY MEDICATIONS DELIVERED, AS I DONT WANT TO GO OUT.
THIS WAS TURNED INTO SHEIS ABLE TO REGULAR ATTEND HER G.P APP, OF COURSE I AM, IAM SITTING IN A CHAIR ON THE PHONE,
THIS ONEMUST BE A DAM LIE, I SAID I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH NO ONE I OFTEN GO DAYS WITHOUT SPEAKING TO ANYONE I JUST WANT TO PULL THE CURTAINS AND I SPEND DAYS AT A TIME NOT WANTING TO GET UP, THIS WAS TURNED INTO, SHE REGULAR INTEACTS WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND MAINTAINS RELATIONSHIPS???? IT MUST BE SOMEONE ELES,
THIS ONE IS A BIG CONCERN OF MINE, I THINK THE LAST 4 YEARS HAVE BEEN THE WORST ME AND MY FAMILY HAVE EVER HAD PARTENER BEING MADE REDUNDANT HAVING TO WALK INTO A JOB CENTRE FOR THE FIRST TIME, THAT IS GETTING LEGAL ACTION, IAM GOING THROUGH THE MENOURPAUSE AND WHAT I WAS DOING WAS REALLY WORRYING, SHORT TERM MEMORY LOST, START SOMETHING WONDER OF START SOMETHING ELES BUT NOTHING EVER GETS FINISHED, I STARTED RUNNING A BATHER WITH ELECTRIC HEARS ON THE FLOOR AND FORGETTING IVE DONE IT ABOUT 8 TIMES IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS, I CAN NO LONGER USE THE COOKER, AS THE SAME AGAIN I WONDER OF LEAVE THINGS BURNING, IVE LEFT THE IRON ON FOR 3 DAYS, MY HUBBY AND DAUGHTER HAVE TO KEEP SHOUTING TO REMIND ME, THE ASSESSOR SAID WHAT DO YOU EAT THEN? SO I SAID MAINLY CEREALS AND THINGS I DONT HAVE TO COOK, THIS ENDED UP AS, ALL OF THE ABOVE COMPLETELTLY IGNORED AND TURNED INTO SHE MAKES HER SELF SNACKS.
WELL I THINK WHAT IAM DOING IS A DANGER TO MY SELF AND OTHERS, AND IAM NOT DOING IT ON PURPOSE, I FEEL THIS IS A VERY POOR MISCONDUCT OF THE SO CALLED MEDICAL EXPERT, PLEASE TELL ME IF IAM CORRECT.
BUT THIS ONE AGAIN NOTHING TO DO WITH MY MAIN COMDITIONION, I DO HAVE SOME DAMAGE TO MY EYES FROM DIABETAS, AND MY CLOSE UP VISION IS REALLY BAD WHICH I PUT IN THE FORM AND TOLD HER, MY LONG SIGHTEDNESS IS A1, AS I TOLD HER, HAS ANYONE GOT ANY IDEA WHY SHE THEN GAVE ME A LONG SIGHTED EYE TEST AND I WAS WAITING FOR HER TO GET SOME PRINT OUT FOR ME TO TEST MY CLOSE UP VISION, SHE COMPLETELY IGNORED ME AND IT WAS NEVER MENTIONED. APPARENTLY I HAVE PROBLEMS SPEAKING, NEWS TO ME, I HAVE PROBLEMS PASSING MESSAGES ON AS I GET THE TIME AND DATE ECT MIXED UP, AND IAM WELL KNOWN AT MY SUGURY FOR GOING THE WRONG DAY WRONG WEEK AND ALL SORTS. HOW DOES THAT MAKE ME HAVE A SPEACH PROBLEM? AND OF COURSE ON THE DAY NO SPEACH PROBLEM COULD BE FOUND, I CAN TYPE? IVE NEVER LEARNT TO TYPE IN MY LIFE IAM AFRAID ITS 1 FINGER ONLY OH I CAN USE A KEYBOARD, I DONT KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM AS MY IMEDIATE THOUGHT WAS. IVE NEVER LEARNT TO PLAY THE PIANO IN MY LIFE, WE NEVER HAD COMPUTERS WHEN I WAS AT SCHOOL, I CAN HOLD A PEN WITH AT LEAST 1 HAND, YES I WAS TAUGHT TO WRITE WITH JUST ONE HAND, OH AND I APPEARE TO GO AROUND FROM STRANGER TO STRANGER PASING MESSEGES THAT I CAN UMDERSTAND, YEAS I DONT HAVE A HEARING PROBLEM, AND THEN I DEAL WITH THESE STRANGERS, THERSE MORE ITS A STANDINDING JOKE IN THIS SMALL TOWN, THAT I GET LOST IN A CAR PARK, I HAVE 3 TIMES IN THE PAST PICKED MY DAUGHTER UP FROM SCHOOL GONE BACK TO FIND THE CAR GONE AND REPORTRD IT AS STOLEN, IT WAS JUST PARKED IN A DIFFERENT PLACE, I CAN NOT USE PUBLIC TRAMSPORT SCINCE A TRAUMATIC EVENT I WHITNESSED SOME YEARS BACK AND MY LITTEL OLD BANGER IS LIKE MY SUCURITY BLANKET, I LOCK THE DOORS AND FEEL SAFE, ON THE NIGHT OF MY 50TH BIRTHDAY MY NEW LITTLE P.REG BANGER THAT I HAD FOR ONLY 4 WEEKS WAS VANDALISED TO BE WRITTEN OF, I NEVER LEFT THE HOUSE FOR 4 WEEKS I COULDNT, BUT APPARENTLY I CAN DRIVE TO A STRANGE PLACE ON MY OWN, I HAVE NO IDEA HOW SHE GOT ME TO SAY THAT, BUT NONE OF THAT SO CALLED ASSESSMENT WHICH AN UNTRAINED CHIMP WOULD PASS HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE MAIN CONDITION THAT I HAVE SUFFERED MOST OF MY LIFE, AND I BEHAVE IN A MANOR ACCEPTABLE IN A WORK PLACE. I RAND THEM UP AS IVE BEEN CHUCKED OF. AND SAID CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME HOW MANY POINTS THE FOLLOWING ARE WORTH PLEASE;
AVOIDANCE AT ALL COST THAT CAUSES ANXCIETY.
EMOTIONAL OUTBURST, E.G LOST OF TEMPER CONSTANT BOUTS OF CRYING.
RESTLESSNESS. OR IRRITABILITY,
IMPUULSIVE BEHAVIOUR’
POOR CONCEENTRATION
ABSENTEEISM POOR PRODUCTIVTY
INCREASED ACCIDENTSPROBLEMS MAINTAINING RELATONSHIPS.
THEY ARE JUST A FEW, WELL SHE JUST SAT THERE IN SILENCE, THEN I SAID AND COULD SOMONE COMFIRM THEY THESE BEHAVIOURS ARE WELLCOMED AND ACCEBTABLE BEHAVIOUR IN A WORK PLACE? SILENCE
I THINK YOU WOULD ALL AGREE NO EMPLOYER WOUL HAVE THAT AND FAR MOR WORST THAN THERE SILLY LIST. I HAD ONE OF THEM THAT IVE NEVER HAD WHEN I OPENED THAT LETTER CONSTANT OUT BURST OF CRYING FOR 4 DAYS , TO ME ITS NOT THE MOMONEY ALTHOUGHT IT APPEARS IAM EXPECTED TO LIVE ON DUST, BUT THE LIES, MANIPULATION IMPORTANT AND WHAT CAN BE A DANGER IN THE WORK PLACE AND IVE TOLD THEM I DONT EVER WANT TO SEE A COPY OF THAT WOMANS REPORT AS I FEAR FOR WHAT I MAY DO, AND TO THINK A SILLY NURSE WHOES KNOWS NOTHING AND OFFICE STAFF SEEM TO BE FULLY QAULIFIED IN MESSING AROUND WITH PEOPLES HEALTH. PLEASE SOMEONE WAKE ME UP, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE IAM EMBARESSED TO ADMITT IAM BRITISH AND WAS ALWAYS PROUD OF MY COUNTRY AND FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER I DINT WANT TO EVEN BE IN IT.
SO NO MORE FOOD FOR ME TO KEEP MY CONDITIONS UNDER CONTROL, NO LITTLE CAR TO GET ME OUT THAT WILL HAVE TO GO AND I WILL NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE,
I HAVE NOW PUT ALL MY BILLS DEBTS ECT IN A BIG BROWN ENVELOPE ADRESSED TO IAN DUNDAN SMITH NO POSTAGE HE WILL PAY AT OTHER END, WITH A NOTE, SAYING YOU HAVE STOLEN MY MONEY AND LEFT ME TO LIVE OF THIN AIR AND DUST SO YOU ARE RESPONSABLE FOR PAYING THESE AS I DONT THINK THEY WILL ECCEPT DUST, IAM ALSO TELLING ALL MY CREDITORS TO CONTACT HIM FOR PAYMENT AS HE IS HOLDING MY MONEY, I WOULD URGE YOU ALL TO DO THE THE SAME, WE CANT PAY ANYTHING IF HE HAS OUR MONEY

By: smith (can't leave a name)

smith (can't leave a name) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:52:57 +0000

I have read all of the comments on here and am horrified by what is happening to the ill and disabled in our country. I am worried about being to outspoken as this will reflect on my husband.
My husband went to an assessment last September, I attended with him as support. The ‘nurse’ seemed friendly enough, even said you come from **** I used to live there, chatted about some of the things in this place, then said I see you do jigsaws!! Where this came from is anyones guess! my husband told her did not like jigsaws, so then the answers to all the questions included the fact he did jigsaws! She did not do any of the tests she was supposed to do, even stated on form tests were not done. Blood pressure machine didn’t work. Husband observed to stand without assistance, despite the fact he used a walking stick and the desk by which he was placed. I had a cough and she stated this was the reason she did not do any of the tests!. We thought that my husband was being assessed not me. There were other inconsistencies in the report,report came back 0 points. we had already visited our local CAB office to help fill in the original forms. so we went back to them with the report, and they helped us to complain about Atos and apply for an appeal, Atos did a review of the ‘Health Care Professionals’ advice, this came back saying basically they did not know why there was inaccurate information on the report. Meanwhile we had been dealing with a member of the Decision Making Appeals team at the job centre plus. She was very nice and very sympathetic to our case, when we rec’d the answer from Atos which they said had been sent to the dwp as well,( but they had not rec’d.) She wrote to us to say after full consideration of the contents of the letter from Atos, she decided the report was not fit for purpose. So benefits reinstated from last September,
but now have to go through it all again. Sorry forgot to mention my husband has a disintegrating disc disease, which the MRI scan shows affects all his discs from neck to lower back, bottom 2 virtually non existent, so this results in severe pain 24/7 on any movement or non movement.
So what I am saying is if you can take someone with you to the assessment and if they have told lies in the report then challenge Atos about the lies. But if you have good CAB office ask them for help as ours were absolutely wonderful in their help. As to Atos’s ‘Health Professionals’ having a full understanding of the patients conditions, she did not know what disintegrating disc disease was.!!!!!! yet she was supposed to be a nursing sister.

By: Philip Hale

Philip Hale — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:52:52 +0000

Having gone through all the indignities listed in all the posts above, and having considered ending it all on more than one occassion, I have come to the conclusion that David Cameron and his millionaire cronies don,t give a monkeys about the welfare of people like me aged 64 who have paid their dues for their whole lives. The history of our illnesses are totally disregarded, even when supported by our GP.
They have, and still are, using the extreme right wing tactic, of devide and conquer through propaganda in the media.
Like the brand “strivers or scroungers” its so successful that even some of us are half believing it.
I have had my 365 days of ESA and have recieved no benefits since April 2012.

I just wonder why we as a group do not get together and seek our human rights collectively.
Seeking human rights seems to work for terrorists and preachers of hate, who would probably be able to qualify for legal aid in persuit of it.

This government have taken, my dignity, my confidence, my belief in a fair and just society,
The one thing they have NOT been able to take from me is my vote, but wether I will survive till 2015 remains to be seen.

If by some querk of fate they get re elected, we could possibly be branded with a Jewish symbol, and suffer the same fate, as already we are considered by some as “STOCK”

By: Dennis

Dennis — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 00:24:15 +0000

I would recommend that people take a look at the channel 4 dispatches programme in which a Doctor became a whistle-blower because he did not like what was happening while he worked for atos, he recorded his dealings with them, including were he was told to lie about peoples illnesses, so they would be thrown off benifits. atos contract with this goverment states that they have targets to meet in so far as removing people from benifits, although they will not admit this. I had my assessment recently in which I of course failed, I requested to see the report under the freedom of information act, I was shocked to see that the nurse who carried out my assessment had lied, undersatated or omitted large parts of what I told her in that assessment. If I had recorded (audio)that assessment as I you are allowed to do, and found that the assessor had knowingly misrepresented my verbal answers then you could have had them up for perjury!!!!!
Please dont feel intimidated by these people, treat them with the same contempt as they treat you…this goverment has grouped everyone on benifits into one group which they call “the lazy, good for nothing scrongers” they leak reports to the press about the small number of people they catch that are screwing the system, and use them as a means of justifying this unwarrented clear-out of people on benifits no matter how ill they are, look in the dailt mail, almost every day in this tory paper there is a story about a benifit cheat…….its a pity they did not do the same when it came out about MPs cheating on their expences, which they had been happily doing for years, there were very few MPs that did not do this, they saw as a perk of the job.
I am gathering information for an appel to send off to the Court of Human Rights, which states that you cannot be forced into doing something which is detrimental to your well-being, if more people did this the goverment would have to change this disgusting system run atos.

By: ben

ben — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:41:02 +0000

ato,s get real none of the interveiwers are capable to make deciscions on ones health or disabillity the sooner they go the better, ive not been called for a asessment yet but i know its going to come im dreading it to be honest the humiliation of letting someone assest me then lie on the awnsers is beyond me

By: ben

ben — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:35:13 +0000

Reading all these comments on here saddends me i feel so so sorry for you all,, yes im disabled what is wrong with me is not relevant ,, but i just read a article about remploy the govt closed the places down putting thousands of disabled people out of work ,, saying it will save millions of pounds so they can invest on putting disable people back into the workplace having any disabillity is bad enough but but just how many firms , shops , factorys , offices, have ammenitys for say electric wheelchairs ive yet to go to my local supermarket and see someone in a wheelchair stacking shelves or someone on crutch,s laying bricks on a building site

By: margie harper

margie harper — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 22:39:29 +0000

Well i got better and im onto this for what its worth. If our politicians wont serve us then they can go somewhere else where the sun dont shine.What else are they here for but to serve us the people? Welfare reform will change in the next few months because the people are waking up and questioning pur values in parliament.Live to see the bullys become cowards,wait in poverty and distress to hear the words you long for.As your sister,I wont allow you to be alone and unloved. You are precious,take heart.

By: P White

P White — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 14:50:10 +0000

I have come to see all of this somewhat later than some people, I didn’t use the Internet much and wasn’t on Facebook, I have just been told I can’t appeal the decision of me being placed in the WRAG despite the fact I had the points for the support group, because my appeal went to an aggressive and humiliating tier two tribunal and you only have 13 months to appeal at this level. I found out about my ESA being stopped after one year via a rude telephone call from the DWP last Feb, they have had the papers till this week and now I’ve been told its too late to appeal, so that’s it for me, apparently I remain in the WRAG, but I’m not entitled to any money but, they will continue to pay my National insurance contributions. I am due to renew my DLA, , but it will be PIP. It nearly broke me last time, I’m scared to go through it again, I’ve supported friends and family through their appeals but I can’t do that anymore, its every man for himself, I’m warning anyone I know who is suffering to get on the bus and help if they can, spread the word. Im not sure I can put myself through it again.