Aug 122012
On Wednesday 29th August, as part of the Atos Games, Disabled People Against Cuts will deliver a coffin full of your messages to the Atos headquarters in central London.
Why? Because over 1,000 people have died after being found ‘fit for work’ by Atos. The coffin will be delivered as a memorial to them. A minute’s silence will also be held on the day.
Atos is a private company that’s being paid £300 million by the government to put 11,000 sick and disabled people a week through an inhumane testing programme, then decide whether they should have their benefits taken away.
We know the loss of disability benefits has a devastating effect on disabled people’s ability to live independently. We also know how de-humanising and degrading the process can be, and the stress and trauma it causes.
Atos has just been awarded contracts worth a further £400 million to carry out new eligibility assessments on people in receipt of Disability Living Allowance with a government target of reducing numbers claiming the benefit by 20%. This threatens the lives of many thousands more disabled people.
So here is your opportunity to tell those responsible for this outrage, in your own words, exactly what your experiences and feelings are.
We are asking you to send a short message to Atos, and we will fill our coffin with them. During the delivery of the coffin, a selection of messages will be read publicly.
Please make sure your messages:
•Include a name, initials or fake name, and a town or county.
•Do not include any information that you do not want to be made public.
•Express exactly how you feel.
You can send your messages by:
Email: mail@dpac.uk.net
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/DPAC2011
Twitter: @Dis_PPL_Protest
Please make sure you send your message by 6pm on Sunday 26th August.
ellen
The fear that you have inflicted on me, friends on a daily basis has been terryfying. I know of people trying to survive, who have been steadily makiing progress with their lives, to be set back because of Atos’s sheer lack of compassion. No empathy, no feeling expressed by your actions. Simply doin the governments rotten work. Ordinary people being made to suffer, because of Atos’s thirst for profit. People are dying. The assesments bear no reasemblance to real life, testing the most vulnerable in society and unjust. Causing added misery, stress and anxiety… some people I know have not even had an assessment, their claim form processed by a computer. G.Ps opinions tossed aside.
Atos assesments are simply not fit for purpose.,
May I share on my wall this compassionate letter?
Without my DLA I would not be able to live independently and have Hemodialysis at home daily. I am only 45 and need these benefits just to survive. £60 of which is paid to Social Services for a Carer (Government money going straight back to the government……clever !) I have already had to give up my Motability car to enable me to cay on paying my mortgage, I am now housebound. If I lived in rented accommodation my rent would be paid and I would be able to have my car back and have a bit of independence. Any cuts would result in me withdrawing from treatment as I would not be able to survive financially, I would be dead within a few weeks.
Your assessments are arbitrary and unfair. You cannot possibly equate a badly flawed points system on a computer with an individual’s disability.
No-one minds a system that weeds out shirkers and those who try it on, but if various news reports and documentaries are anything to go by, you are finding people fit for work when they are clearly not fit for work. The assessments are flawed and badly designed – more should be done to look at the individual’s disability and what their GPs and hospital doctors say. The current assessment system is not fit for purpose – it needs changing.
Absolutely inhumane the way ATOS is treating people.
I had an awful interview with ATOS and was subsequently misrepresented by them. They basically put words into my mouth and the interviewer wrote whatever she pleased on the form. In hindsight I wish I had made a complaint.
I had my claim turned down and had to go to a tribunal. It was a complete fiasco, I have since been involved in a car accident and have had my right leg amputated. I am now waiting to hear back whether I need to attend a further interview.
It is HIGH time that advice should be sought from a person’s own medical professionals, who know them and their situation much better than can be assessed in a 10 minute interview by a COMPLETE STRANGER!!!!! So many of these decisions are COMPLETELY wrong and are costing the country a lot of money in the appeal process, not to mention the HUGE distress caused to the individual concerned!!!
I believe this country would be happy to CULL the population of it’s ‘lesser’ beings!!!!!! (…a super race obviously preferable….now didn’t a certain dictator try this previously????) My son (who suffers from severe social anxiety which renders him virtually housebound), was subjected to this heartless and cruel experience, we fought for many months to get the decision overturned, causing our whole family great distress, one interview was arranged in a COURT building, which he couldn’t face attending at all.
The vulnerable amonst our population are being INTIMIDATED off benefit!!!!!!!!!
My son also has Social Anxiety Disorder. Diagnosed at age 13 and now in his 20′s. We have just had the dreaded letter through the door, and I haven’t even told him yet as I know that he will start panicking and feeling more anxious.
Can you please email me with any useful information Re. your appeal that may help my son and I. Over the years – his illness had made me feel ill and unable to function normally. There is little understanding, empathy or support for this condition as it is, without the Government questioning it and putting these people through more stress and anxiety. And they have no idea how us parents are affected by it.
Thank you,
Jan.
DEAR ATOS,
I WORK WITH PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM SCHIZOPHRENIA AND BIPOLAR DISORDER. THESE CLIENTS REGULARLY FACE DISTRESSING SYMPTOMS SUCH AS HALLUCINATIONS AND DELUSIONS WHICH MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO WORK. YET MANY HAVE BEEN ASSESSED AS BEING ‘FIT FOR WORK’ AND THE STRESS OF HAVING THEIR BENEFITS CUT HAS ACTUALLY CAUSED THEM TO RELAPSE AND RETURN TO HOSPITAL, AT HIGHER COST TO THE TAX PAYER THAN CUTTING THEIR BENEFITS! YOU MAKE ME SICK.
I haven’t even been seen by them yet and had my benefit stopped twice I had to borrow to live and now in debT I am astmatic I have seizures that are triggered by stress and diabetic I also have depression and when they took my money away I contemplated ending it all I have osteo arthritis and spondolitus and other things as well I am in pain 24 /7 I have heard so many stories about atos I just cant wait to get it over with my miserable life feels unbearable on somedays I have a 17 year old thats living with me he hasnt had any money at all he was going to college but I couldnt afford to pay his fare so he had to stop going I have just been sent another form because i was getting severe disability allowance I hardly move out of the house I wish everything would be ok I think they want people to commit suicide at least its one less off the benefits statistic these people are inhumane they are dealing in human misery I never thought that they were allowed maybe they should be taken to the European court of justice The government always complaining about how other countries inhumanly treat their fellow countrymen They need to take a good hard look at themselves and the shameless way they are conducting themselves :-/ I hope I make sense Im on a lot of medication so its hard for me to focus
Please may I share this letter to my wall, I share your heart felt anger at Atos!
We are all each others families – being treated with the utmost dis-regard. I am sure that what is going on in this country is against Human Rights. I used to be proud of our country and thought that people who needed help got it………………………………………..How wrong I am being proved. I thought that Doctors diagnosed illness disease and chronic conditions not civil servants asking whether I can sit in a chair !!!!!! What part of………. DISABLING CONDITION…………… is not understood. Ashamed to be British at the moment ….
I agree Deborah, these tests are not looking at how our disabilities limit our lives and ability to work. ATOS why are you ignoring our trained doctors and specialists diagnosis? Your assessments are only focused on trying to prove we can work-as long as we can sit up or speak! The govt should not be allowed by law to do this. But ATOS-you should be ashamed taking blood money to do this to peoples lives! You should consider.. what if you had the illness or a family member, how would you feel?
We never asked to be disabled or have our conditions, we would swap them tomorrow for a healthy body, to be able to work and have a quality of life. But we have no choice and to be able to live we need help which we have to pay for. By removing our benefits you are handing us a life sentence of discrimination and returning us to the dark days when disabled people were locked away from sight. No wonder people are committing suicide. It’s hard enough to live with the condition.
When our benefits have stopped and our sad existance is then also accompanied by extreme poverty me and a group of disabled friends are going to lock our selfs in my spare bedroom you know the £12.50 a week out of your benifits one turn on the gas like they did with the disabled in nazi germany and kill our selfs to save ourself a slow and lingering death maybe that might help to highlight this unjust way of saving money, once again ATOS ( auchwitz trained officers for selection)
To all the staff at Atos…….Murder is Murder, even when it is sanctioned by this Evil, Unfeeling Government!
ATOS how hard can it be to understand that people with Rapid Cycling Bi-polar are in real need of benefits and why just because one day we seem in every way “Normal” we have a lot to live with in ours lives and the humiliating process that you put us through and the refusal of help in the way of benefits could turn and gloomy dark hatred and a thought of death as a way out. I believe that the more you refuse the larger the bonuses get drug lords murder innocent people but you get paid for the deaths of thousands of disabled people. In Summary you are worse than the worst and assassins of disabled for money & bonuses
dear atos,
You’re testing system is unfair,you are destroying the lives of innocent people who have done nothing but commit the crime of being disabled,you cannot use a one size fits all test to determine someone’s fitness for work,disabilities like people come in all shapes and sizes,the fact that you are profiting from the misery of others is disgraceful,a private company whose sole aim is to turn a profit should not be in charge of such decisions,in many cases these people have been through numerous tests already and been duly awarded their dla on the evidence of doctors and specialists,so if these medically qualified people hold the opinion that people are disabled then surely the matter should end there
I was present at one of these “assessment” interviews, in which the interviewee was harrassed and disrespected by the “doctor”. Responses recorded were diametrically opposed to those given. The woman had no knowledge of the disorder for which she was interrogating.She was paid hundreds of pounds in order to say whatever was needed to remove this man’s DLA.
A GENETIC DEGENERATIVE. DiSORDER THAT HAS BEEN MANIFESTiNG FOR OVER A DECADE DOES NOT CURE ITSELF OVERNIGHT
Dear ATOS
There’s a few points I’d like to clear up with you. Firstly I don’t have anyone at home who can read my post for me. Both me and my husband are visually impaired. I also don’t have access to a car or a friend or family member to take me everywhere. I’d also like to point out that I go bed blind and wake up still blind every day. No amount of time will make my sight better, and as I’ve still not got “used to it” after 46 years then I don’t think I’m going to now. Yes I have a small amount of vision, but you try making use of blurry wobbly vision that isn’t always reliable. I make the most of my life and I don’t sit at home waiting for things to happen. But that takes a massive amount of confidence as well as a hell of a lot of planning. I can’t just pop to the shops. If I need assistance I have to at quieter times and often have to wait until someone is available. If I want assistance for a train journey I have to book it in advance, so no last minute jumping on a train for me. If I buy a new computer I have to spend more than twice as much again to make it accessible.
These are just some of the assumptions you will make about me when you assess me for DLA. I know because I’ve been assessed for ESA in the past. the assessor kept telling me what a nice person I was. Just because I communicate well and have a nice educated speaking voice doesn’t mean I don’t need help or assistance. Its my eyes that don’t work and no amount of education, confidence or prayer is going to make them work again. So please when I go for my first DLA assessment keep an open mind and don’t assume things about me.
I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which leads to panic attacks and hyper- vigilance so have problems leaving my home, I am also in pain all the time caused by a now recognised condition Fibromyalgia which as led to problems with my hips so have pain walking so Mentally and Physically Disabled and went to one of these ATOS interviews, during this interview I had a panic attack and had problems explaining my self to the examiner I could tell she wanted shut of me and made the excuse for me to leave she later told the Department of Work and Pensions that I had refused to answer questions and was uncooperative to which they then stopped my money immediately and all help with my rent because of the blatant lie she made, it took almost 3 months to get my money back I had near nothing to live on, and was thinking I would loose my home, support from my mother and friend’s was a god send but during which I was near to suicide several times is this what they are really after?
I must also add ive contacted several solicitors hoping to get help against future lies from the person at ATOS and none will, the only advice I got was to see my MP..
How can you protect yourself against a person with so much power over your life…
Like a lot of you who have been to court on appeal to get your money they stopped back Im about to go to court to try and get mine I will try to state my case but how fare does there power reach ? will I get it – I already have major doubts …
Why should people on incapacty benefit be treated as if they dont count in society because they have no private income ..There are no jobs for well people so when the benefits are removed these people will have little income to sustain themselves . This will cause mental and physical stress and the greedy millionaire politicians who have no concept of living on little and neither care will go ahead with the cuts .
WE MUST FIGHT FOR THR POOR
J.B. Prestatyn Denbighshire
Dear ATOS, the methods used by you to assess sick & disabled people is seriously flawed, the whole thing needs to be scrapped, why won’t you and this Government listen to GP’s and the experts on Disabilities when they state your system is WRONG.
The misery and worry you are inflicting on sick, disabled and vulnerable people is disgusting and in my opinion is surely against Human Rights.
i was told i could pysically push the wheels on my wheel chair 200m so im mobile in the work station. when they asses me next year or should i say reject me for the p.i.p benifit i will go into training for the mens 200m wheelchair hurdles. hopefully i will be awarded the gold medal by ian duncan smith
MR IAN DUNCAN SMITH, LET ME SIT YOU IN A WHEEL CHAIR AFTER HITTING YOU IN THE BACK AND ANKLE WITH A BASE BALL BAT,FIRE TWO STARTING PISTOLS NEXT TO YOUR EARS SO THEY RING LIKE MAD THEN FILL THEM WITH PLASTERCINE SO YOU CANT HEAR NOTHING BUT THE RINGING IN YOUR EARS PUT YOU ON THE STARTING LINE AND ASK YOU TO COMPLETE THE 200M LIKE ATOS SAID I COULD IN A WHEEL CHAIR AND SEND YOU OFF TO THE NEAREST CALL CENTRE AND LETS SEE IF YOUD CHANGE YOUR MIND THEN MATE. THATS MY LIFE PAL DAY IN DAY OUT TRY IT FOR A MONTH AND LETS SEE IF YOUD REALISE THEN
What is the point of posting a comment? Who listens? Who takes any notice?
PEOPLE ARE DYING BECAUSE OF THIS PROFIT-MAKING ORGANISATION.
Others are traumatised by even the thought of going for the interview/assessment.
The so-called profesionals who do the assessing DO NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT THE CLAIMANT’S GENERAL PRACTITIONER SAYS.
SO, AGAIN – WHAT’S THE POINT?
ATOS represents the disgusting baseness to which the profit motive drives greedy people. I am not disabled but I am sickened by what I saw on the recent Panorama programme (and by Chris Grayling).
Nazis!!
Atos have ruined my life, I went to a tribunal last Friday and I lost 14 months of backpay plus my car this is all down to an Atos medical conducted in my own home by a doctor pretending to care, should have known not to trust him as he smiled a lot. He has said in his “report” that I have no care needs and that I can walk. I was diagnosed with early onset of osteoarthritis in my left knee at the age of 27, I have cervical spondylosis and arthritis which has now progressed to my shoulders causing me chronic pain and all caused by hypermobility which I’ve had from birth…I’m now 39. I also have fibromyalgia amongst other things. The main problem is that I cannot walk or stand at all without pain, I fall over all the time and my right arm is practically useless, also the constant pain and tiredness is a real bind. My car was my lifeline and the only independence I had left. The tribunal panel were no better they completely humiliated me and the so called “gp” just kept rolling her eyes. I had the backing of my GP and also my consultant but this was not good enough. They were more interested in my partners unemployment, however the fact that he has put his career on hold to look after me and doesn’t get anything was irrelevant. We are getting behind with the mortgage our cooker is broken and our ceiling has just fallen in…it’s such fun living on benefits! Atos are evil!
I am one of many who affected by these cuts and like many other don’t no who to trust or turn to I think people must come together and write to thr Europen court of law as we are not being treated fair here
You have blood on your hands. It will come back to haunt you.
After recently being invited for my second LIMA “assessment” due to stress and anxiety, I have had to go into hospital twice in the space of ten days. I have a complex heart condition and I am waiting to have surgery. Atos Healthcare, you are making me suffer, you are making my condition worse, you are making me unfit for surgery, let alone work. Your supposed HCP’s do not look professional, speak professionally, and perform examinations that are in no way, remotely clinical or appropriate. In fact your HCP’s cause us harm, and as we are patients and not “claimants” this is totally unacceptable. It is no wonder that the BMA, NMC and HPC in this country, are calling for an end to the WCA. Atos Healthcare has a duty of care, this is clearly not being upheld, and sadly, ultimately, patients are dying. I hope I am not going to be another.
Dear Atos,
When you carry out these WCA are you asked to ignore your Code of Professional Conducts? Do not judge others and treat everybody equally.
Having seen the results of some of your WCA you have breached your Codes so many times and members of the public are being put at risk due to your lack of empathy and integrity for the wellbeing of people that are reliant on the welfare system. Please produce a registration (pin) number to any one that is made to attend one of your assessments and provide your name and occupation. All interviews should be recorded and a copy of the interview should be given to the attendee to ensure that they are happy that you have looked at all evidence from GPs and any other multidisciplinary team member that has been provided in order for you to carry out an assessment.
I found employment at a time that I was advised that I would be coming to see you, I was petrified of being judged wrongly by you. Since this time, my health has not improved but I am now in a situation where you do not have to patronise me with the generic assessment that you are carrying out on all attendees. I am sure you will remember being taught during your training that people are individuals, with differing health/mental health needs and not all people will fit into one box or catagory. You actually make me sick. I hope that you are closed down and are never able to assess people that are genuinely ill and in need of state benefit. You must be very proud in meeting the DWP’s targets in removing essential benefits from individuals that are sent to you, so that they can be placed on JSA and sent on workfare schemes. I wonder how you sleep at night, knowing that people have died and have become very ill soon after you declared them “Fit to Work”.
We are people, human beings, not items to be numerically placed into stupid tick boxes. We are disabled with often multiple conditions and find the whole wretched shambolic system we are forced to go through both humiliating and useless. We are not listened to, my assessment was a complete work of fiction and i won an appeal 14 months later. I was forced to crawl across the floor in tears of pain and humiliation and absolutely struggle to get up with one arm on a chair. I could not put pressure on my knees and ankles and my right arm was numb with trapped nerves due to fibromyalgia and arthritis. The “doctor” just looked at me and said “oh can’t you get up, i should have helped you” an absolute disgrace to be treated in such an inhumane way. I scored nil points on the “can get up off the floor unaided”!!!
Why don’t the “medical professionals” read back what they have written about us so any…and believe me there are many, lies and discrepancies can be corrected at the time. then give us a copy before we leave. Not rocket science is it?, given the mysterious absence of recording machines.
These assassinations…aka assessments are certainly never fit for purpose, and Atos and the government who implement them should stop penalizing the vulnerable and put the ridiculously massive amount they are paid to better use….like actually helping the disabled!! Do they really think we are actually going to miraculously get better just because we have been assessed. Listen before you destroy more lives.
As you are fully aware disabled people are committing suicide due to your evil work capability assessments you will be eventually judged and prosecuted
Atos,
Due to your utter incompetence, greed, and lack of any ethical standards and your amazing dishonesty my adult son seriously contemplates suicide. This is no idle or melodramatic statement – I have to-day taken to my chemist for safe disposal the medication he had stored. There was enough to kill several people. He had managed to amass such a large amount of lethal medication because his condition has become worse and worse and varying dosages and drugs have been tried on him. Why has his condition become so severe – the unacceptable wait for counselling which itself is given over too short a period – yes most definitely but first and foremost is the way in which he has been treated by Atos. We are honest, decent hard working people, brought up to believe you could trust ‘health professionals’ and proud to be British. Well no longer, the veil has been lifted from our eyes well and truly! I am a pensioner who still works full time to support her very ill son, even though I have a heart condition I don’t ask for a penny for myself – only what is fair for my son in his hour of need. Should my son end his life know this Atos, I will make it my life’s work to bring you to justice – til my last breath.
ATOS:
Profiting from policy that closely resembles 1930′s legislation which resulted in AktionT4.
There are few acts more despicable.
You fear abberation.
Yet difference inspired, designed and built every last piece of your glorious civilization.
See you in the Hague?
~ mutant action.
I have primary progressive MS. I haven’t had my ESA assessment yet and every day I DREAD the form coming through my door.
I am living in FEAR because of ATOS and the inhumane assessments. It is disgusting that I have to prove that I am to ill and disabled to work when I have a diagnosis from a neurologist (who has trained for years and not a few days!!!)
It is DISGUSTING that people living with physical and mental illness and people living with disability are being hounded and harassed by ATOS who are making huge profits out of this DISGRACE.
And next year the HORROR starts again when the DLA assessments start. Without DLA my life will not be worth living. I will be housebound. I may as well kill myself now and get it over with!
Every member and supporter of this Coalition government and everyone working for ATOS should hang their heads in SHAME.
I have an ATOS form to fill in and am scared to do it. I haven’t started it yet. You know, my right arm doesn’t work and I cannot write. I have MS you see. Some days I can manage and most days I can’t go out without my husband.
I have a horrible feeling that you are going to cast this aside along with my GP’s opinion that I cannot work. He has signed me off, but from what I hear about you lot I will be classed as a scrounger and my ESA claim will go into the ‘declined, she’s a scrounger’ file. Let’s hope not eh!
My claim for DLA has been declined even though my consultant nor GP were ever contacted.
Great Wakering, Essex
Dear Atos
The way you are treating the Sick and Disabled is beyond belief! You are a massive company earning a million pound contract to treat the people with utter contempt. You have caused people to commit suicide. I am shocked that one of your Doctors said to a woman, who had made 3 suicide attempts, “why are you not dead then”! How inhumane can you be? You are a disgrace to the British Medical Association, you ignore the Doctors who say their patient is unfit for work. What about your hippocratic oath to care for people? I await to hear that you have been dismissed by the BMA, as a bogus front for corruptly saving money for the corrupt Government, who let big companies like Vodaphone, Top Shop etc; they are let off paying tax! You have blood on your hands, one day you may get sick or disabled. What will you do then?
Yours truly
Jay Shay
hopefully one day atos you might have to answer to your crimes against humanity
DISABLED PEOPLE ARE TREATED VERY BADLY IN THIS COUNTRY… DISABLED PEOPLE DIDN’T ASK TO BE DISABLED!!! THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO OPEN THEIR EYES… THEY ARE CAUSING PEOPLE TO COMMIT SUICIDE!!! DISABLED PEOPLE WHO BECOME DISABLED AFTER 60 YEARS OLD ARE NOT EVEN ALLOWED ANY HELP WITH DLA BENEFITS!!! MY PARTNER BECAME DISABLED SEVERAL YEARS AGO THROUGH NO FAULT OF HIS OWN… HE EVEN HAD ONE OF BENEFITS STOPPED FEW YEARS AGO!!! HE HAD HIS ASSESSMENT RECENTLY I WAS DISGUSTED WITH THE ASSESSMENT TO HONEST.. HE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND HE FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO ANSWER MOST OF THE QUESTIONS.. I WAS JUST GLAD I WAS PRESENT WITH HIM TO ANSWER THE STUPID QUESTIONS… THE TEST WAS SO STUPID TOO!!! I HAVE ALSO BECOME DISABLED RECENTLY AGAIN THROUGH NO FAULT OF MY OWN.. I HAVEN’T HAD MY ASSESSMENT YET… LOOKED AFTER MY PARTNER FOR NEARLY A YEAR NOW… DON’T GET PAID TO LOOK AFTER HIM… ..BUT WE JUST ACCEPT IT AND GET ON WITH IT!!! OPEN YOUR EYES GOVERNMENT AND ATOS!!! YOUR MAKING PEOPLE COMMIT SUICIDE!!! ONE DAY YOU COULD BE DISABLED THEN LETS SEE IF YOU LIKE BEING TREATED LIKE YOUR ALL TREATING EVERY DISABLED PERSON IN THIS COUNTRY!!!
Dear Sirs
Investigate this?
Many letters of lies, avoidance and contradictions while the DWP act dumb to being informed repeatedly and every step of the way.
http://asaintcalledallnights.blogspot.co.uk/
Yours faithfully
Martin Haswell BSc
hi all what a bloody digrace this goverment is how dare they treat us like this i had worked for nearly 40 years before i became to sick to work i have paid my way i am entitled to benifits now .i still have to pay for dentist .prescriptions eye test and glasses i dont get no help with my morgage rates or any thing .i wont let them beat me i have been thrown off benifits twice how dare they what the bloody hell have i paid stamp for all these years .when i was thrown off i just got in touch with my local mp and let him sort it which he did with in 2 weeks both times i am not going to jump through hoops for any one i am not fit for work end of i did not just get up one day and say oh i know i will go on benifits now because i am fed up of working .let me tell you benifits are NOT ENOUGH TO LIVE ON i had a fantastic life before benifits i would give it all back tommorrow and go back to work if i could
ATOS also secretly do Teachers’ Pensions assessments and automatically reject many applications for Ill Health Retirement even when the evidence is clear that the teacher or ex-teacher can no longer teach or work taking money from teacher’s pension pots too.
I have my appointment tomorrow , please… kill… me :’(