General Chat

Dear All

Hello


ATOS healthcare, which assesses if benefit claimants in Britain are fit to work,
will finish its contract early.


Disabilities Minister Mike Penning said a new company would be appointed in early 2015, and ATOS would not receive "a single penny of compensation".

Last month, ATOS said it was seeking to end its government contract under which it carried out the Work Capability Assessments.


Claimants applying for Employment and Support Allowance must undergo
a Work Capability Assessment to see how their illness or disability affects
their ability to work.

ATOS has been criticised over many assessments it has made.

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Disability campaigners have described the work tests as
"ridiculously harsh and extremely unfair".


Last summer, the DWP identified "significant quality failures" in the written reports ATOS produced after tests and put a plan for improvement in place.


But in February, the DWP said standards had declined unacceptably.

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Richard Hawkes, chief executive of disability charity Scope, said:


"I doubt there's a single disabled person who'll be sorry to hear that Atos will no longer be running the fit-for-work tests."


He said the "fundamentally flawed" test should be "more than an exercise
in getting people off benefits".

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I wonder which private company will be appointed now?

Will it be payment by results?

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Take gentle care
Best wishes
Elizabeth,
xx

And all claims are now in limbo until someone else takes up this poison chalice.

I have heard so many horror stories about ATOS, 2 from my sister in law, she had to deal with them for her son and her husband. It was hell.

Yet, I had a good experience, once they decided to look into my situation. I was afforded a home visit and the young Irish doctor who came to see me was a lovely lady. Although I did have to appeal 3 times, before they would accept my application and that process was hell.

In some ways, you only hope that who ever takes is over is better than ATOS, but this contract is such that I cannot see anyone doing the job any differently.

:-(

some people DIED because of ATOSs incompetence
their families should be given aid to sue them :-( :-(

http://www.thefedonline.org.uk/disability-in-the-news/atos-claims-of-widespread-assault-were-lies-government-reveals