Re: Should Iain Duncan Smiths expenses be capped at £26k a y : Wed May 30, 2012 5:24 pm  

Hull White Star wrote:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1021686/How-doctors-like-punished-exposing-sicknote-scroungers-whistleblower.html


Interesting article from the other side of the desk at Atos Assesments. Only confirms what disabled people who are called in for appointments knew already; its nothing to do with genuinly assessing disabled people but more about keeping the Government happy.

I must confess to being confused by that report. Till i read that, the picture I had was that Atos was telling everyone they were fit for work, and that was the raison d'etre. But this guy is saying precisely the opposite. What's going on?

Also how is it cheaper to pay him £200,000+ pa., ON TOP OF the huge amounts undoubtedly made by Atos (or else why are they doing it) than to employ in-house doctors to do the assessments?
(" If I worked hard, I could earn £4,500 a week.")

An article that raises many questions.

Re: Should Iain Duncan Smiths expenses be capped at £26k a y : Wed May 30, 2012 8:54 pm  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

I must confess to being confused by that report. Till i read that, the picture I had was that Atos was telling everyone they were fit for work, and that was the raison d'etre. But this guy is saying precisely the opposite. What's going on?

Also how is it cheaper to pay him £200,000+ pa., ON TOP OF the huge amounts undoubtedly made by Atos (or else why are they doing it) than to employ in-house doctors to do the assessments?
(" If I worked hard, I could earn £4,500 a week.")

An article that raises many questions.

If you read the article closely you will see he is refering to his time at ATOS in 2005 - 7 years ago!! The Work Capability Assesment has changed beyond recognition since the Tories came in. They have made the WCA virtually impossible to "pass" and a lot of people (75%) are "failing" and scoring 0-14 points (15 being needed to get the benefit). Doctor Branton is also referring to assesing people for Incapacity Benefit, a benefit which no longer exists and hasn't since 2008. New benefit and assesment rules have been brought in with the new ESA post 2008, so while I have no doubt what he is saying is true for 2005, it is not a true picture for the present. The ordinary man however, on the street will not have a clue between the difference in sickness benefits in 2005 and 2012!

I also question why the article is in the DM - a paper that has so vehmently tries to discredit ESA claimants on an almost daily basis. The more cynical part of me knows damn well why this article is in the DM.

Re: Should Iain Duncan Smiths expenses be capped at £26k a y : Wed May 30, 2012 9:10 pm  

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/minister ... 5-12.shtml Chris Graylings speech today: What has happened is the mix of people coming through the incapacity benefit reassessment is different to what we expected. We have more people fit for work, and moving to JSA. We have more people needing long term unconditional support than expected. And those in the middle group, who would expect before too long to be mandated to the Work Programme, have proved to be sicker and further from the workplace than we expected. So it will take far more time than we predicted for them to be ready to make a return to work. I think you'll find Mr Grayling that we told you so, but you are so arrogant you wouldn't listen. Labour Lords tried to get you to rethink the one year ESA rule as it was too short for people to "get better", but you wouldn't listen. We have always said there are people who needed more support than they got, but you wouldn't listen. I'm no Mystic Meg, but these were the very things disabled people and Labour Peers tried to tell you during the WRB consultation with your mate Lord Freud, but you didn't listen. Are you now going to listen? And that wonderful piece: We simply cannot afford to have people languishing on benefits. At least I know where I stand now with this government. I haven't been ill for the past 14 years, I have been langushing on benefits. When I'm struggling on with my disability, I'll bear in mind that I'm just languishing. And theres me thinking that I have paid my taxes and was going to get the support in my time of need. Well I was right for 12 years, the last two I've had the rug pulled from under me.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/minister ... 5-12.shtml Chris Graylings speech today: What has happened is the mix of people coming through the incapacity benefit reassessment is different to what we expected. We have more people fit for work, and moving to JSA. We have more people needing long term unconditional support than expected. And those in the middle group, who would expect before too long to be mandated to the Work Programme, have proved to be sicker and further from the workplace than we expected. So it will take far more time than we predicted for them to be ready to make a return to work. I think you'll find Mr Grayling that we told you so, but you are so arrogant you wouldn't listen. Labour Lords tried to get you to rethink the one year ESA rule as it was too short for people to "get better", but you wouldn't listen. We have always said there are people who needed more support than they got, but you wouldn't listen. I'm no Mystic Meg, but these were the very things disabled people and Labour Peers tried to tell you during the WRB consultation with your mate Lord Freud, but you didn't listen. Are you now going to listen? And that wonderful piece: We simply cannot afford to have people languishing on benefits. At least I know where I stand now with this government. I haven't been ill for the past 14 years, I have been langushing on benefits. When I'm struggling on with my disability, I'll bear in mind that I'm just languishing. And theres me thinking that I have paid my taxes and was going to get the support in my time of need. Well I was right for 12 years, the last two I've had the rug pulled from under me.

Re: Should Iain Duncan Smiths expenses be capped at £26k a y : Thu May 31, 2012 7:53 pm  

It's all the Tories fault. If Labour were in office you would be entilted to £1M per week, live in a big mansion with a swimming pool and have 10 butlers to wait on your every need. This is a fact.

Re: Should Iain Duncan Smiths expenses be capped at £26k a y : Thu May 31, 2012 7:55 pm  

Ajw71 wrote:

It's all the Tories fault. If Labour were in office you would be entilted to £1M per week, live in a big mansion with a swimming pool and have 10 butlers to wait on your every need. This is a fact.

So, did you miss the point because you're stupid or because you're just thick?

Re: Should Iain Duncan Smiths expenses be capped at £26k a y : Thu May 31, 2012 7:58 pm  

Ajw71 wrote:

It's all the Tories fault. If Labour were in office you would be entilted to £1M per week, live in a big mansion with a swimming pool and have 10 butlers to wait on your every need. This is a fact.

No mate, if Labour were in power I wouldn't have my £94 a week and self worth taken away from me, and that is fact. 94 quid a week may not seem a lot and it isn't but to me its my independence, my contribution to the household, so I don't have to "ask" for pocket money. I didn't ask to have my disability nor did I give up my job in accounts to scrounge 94 quid a week and watch Jeremy Kyle all day.

Come back when you've something decent to contribute.

Re: Should Iain Duncan Smiths expenses be capped at £26k a y : Thu May 31, 2012 7:59 pm  

Mintball wrote:

So, did you miss the point because you're stupid or because you're just thick?

What is the point your Intellectual Eminence? Are you suggesting that the disabled were treated fairly and in accordance with the law under Labour? I can assure you that was not the case, at least for children, during that era.

Re: Should Iain Duncan Smiths expenses be capped at £26k a y : Thu May 31, 2012 8:06 pm  

Dally wrote:

What is the point your Intellectual Eminence? Are you suggesting that the disabled were treated fairly and in accordance with the law under Labour? I can assure you that was not the case, at least for children, during that era.

Can't speak for children but as a disabled adult I was treated fairly under Labour. I got just enough IB & IS to keep me afloat and keep my mortgate payments up until I was able to return to work which I did. I then got progressivly worse and again in 2004 when I had no choice but to either spend 5 days a week in hospital or give up my job I was treated fairly. I had enough medical evidence to get DLA and IB. Now under the Tories I have been given one year to get better - to say they have no idea is an understatement! As from September I have to join the job centre queues (in my wheelchair because I can't stand for long periods) but actually I can't because I can't legally say I can work 40 hours a week.

If you believe we are being treated the same under the Tories as Labour then you are very much mistaken, or very naive.

Re: Should Iain Duncan Smiths expenses be capped at £26k a y : Thu May 31, 2012 8:13 pm  

Such was the blatancy of local authority's (and still is) a charity even produced tea-towels:

Re: Should Iain Duncan Smiths expenses be capped at £26k a y : Thu May 31, 2012 8:20 pm  

Ajw71 wrote:

It's all the Tories fault. If Labour were in office you would be entilted to £1M per week, live in a big mansion with a swimming pool and have 10 butlers to wait on your every need. This is a fact.

Dally wrote:

What is the point your Intellectual Eminence? Are you suggesting that the disabled were treated fairly and in accordance with the law under Labour? I can assure you that was not the case, at least for children, during that era.

Do you both think I sit here I make things up for the sake of it??? Of course whats happening is this governments fault, they are the ones who made the rules on the Welfare Reform Bill, not Labour. All I ask for is to be treated fairly, just like I have been since 1998 when I was diagnosed. I'm not lying, I'm not exaggerating, I try and link articles when and where possible because there are many, many people who think like you two, either have no idea what is happening, can't believe what is happening or don't really care about what is happening because it doesn't affect them.

Everyone is just a hearbeat away from becoming sick and disabled and you are the sort of people who would be the first ones raising the roof if this was happening to you, as I know you are capable of Dally with hospitals you have encounted.

Yes, this is really happening to the sick and disabled. Men in comas are being found fit for work, disabled people from birth are given one year to "get better" then having to join the dole queue and disabled people are being told to get a proper job (a la IDS referring to Remploy workers) and all in the name of saving money from this callous, nasty government.

The sooner this shower "do a u-turn" right out of Number 10 the better.