Atos Yet Again

[chrisgel]

Sorry but I have no words to go with this.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2332038/Double-lung-heart-transplant-patient-died-days-benefits-stopped-declared-fit-work.html

[cazzz1975]

Ironically a lot of people claiming benefits are actually working, maybe they need to sort that out..

[mrs_overall]

I agree the system needs looking at. It is so wrong that people have been on benefits for years with problems such as acne

[emmie]

what about those who did work once and now find themselves faced with hardships, difficulties beyond their capability, how is a tick box exercise going to help them. Doctors in surgeries should know more about their patients history than these people, i don't believe their intervention, report, would change the way things are done. I happen to agree with Mrs O statement, they are a disgrace,

[jim360]

There are no targets. Not official ones, anyway, only at best whispers at a local level. This thread is one-sided. Unfortunately, owing to the Official Secrets Act among other things, and patient confidentiality, the other side cannot speak for itself.

As tragic as this case is, and as sad as it is that it's not isolated, it's still the case that the vast majority of ATOS decisions are either never challenged or upheld.

[emmie]

several documentaries, and any number of people who once worked for ATOS say different.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jul/27/disability-benefit-assessors-film

[emmie]

more cases are challenged as long as people get the help to do so.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/feb/08/dwp-fitness-to-work-fiasco

[factor-fiction]

We need to hear ATOS's side of the story here. I'd be interested to see the figures on how the number of claimants has increased but it seems to me the numbers are far, far higher than they were 20-30 years ago. If the numbers have increased significantly it's right that cases are assessed thoroughly. For every tale of someone who feels they are being questioned unfairly there are others who say they know people who are getting benefits who don't merit them.

I'm sure ATOS (as would anyone else who does the checks makes mistakes. Mistakes have probably always been made but with the press and the internet stories come to light more easily now. There are also campaigners who seek out such stories so it seems mistakes are increasing, but they may not be.

I hope ATOS aren't making too many and there should be checks in the system to audit ATOS.

But whatever checks and balances we have there will always be people dying not long after being declared 'fit to work', since fit people can die young. I have lost fiends and family who would have been declared fit by any doctor but died suddenly of aneurisms etc.

We need all the facts in this case I think before assuming/implying she did because of ATOS

[emmie]

i had first hand experience of their methods, i would say it's deeply flawed, and that i can speak for the Welfare Rights officer i needed to help me, he and his colleagues were having the same problems, they have been telling anyone who would listen that this way of treating people is stacked against them, by the nature of the so called tests. I forget who it was on here, something i noticed, that the place they do these tests had no lifts, so those in wheelchairs couldn't get to their appointments,

[THECORBYLOON]

Eddie or Mrs O, do you have a source for the bonuses you say ATOS receive?

[emmie]

not that some will take this as gospel, but at least it does give some information from the health care person doing the tests,

http://atosvictimsgroup.co.uk/2013/01/31/ex-atos-nurse-reveals-the-real-inside-story/

[emmie]

and someone who did get a bonus

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/how-can-the-atos-boss-get-a-bonus-of-1million-while-disabled-people-suffer-8374083.html