[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

As someone who has undergone the ATOS assessment myself a while back...I know this is a load of bollocks. ATOS are pretty much paid to find people fit for work, no matter how ill they actually are, so they can throw out statistics like this. The 'doctors' who assess you are not always qualified either. I had a ex midwife doing my mental health assessment. I was given 8 points, which made me 'fit for work' as you need 15 points to remain on IB. Even though at that time I could not leave the house on my own due to severe panic attacks and general anxiety. The midwife acknowledged this on my form. Along with my GP confirming it. Yet they tried to kick me off the sick, as I did not have the full 15 points. I appealed and won...but it was common sense anyway that if at that time I couldnt leave the house on my own...yes, technically I COULD sign on, only if someone came with me to my signings, but I could not look/take for a job. How many employers would take on someone who was severely depressed, took panic attacks at regular intervals, and had to have someone they knew around them on every shift?

Vicky, that is a brilliant post and what you describe is disgraceful, this is the post of this thread and maybe the coalition govt should be sent it too.

I think what happened to you Vicky was shocking and you are right what employer would take on or keep in work people who at a moments notice may become ill or be unreliable due to their condition at the time.Brilliant account and brilliant post from you.

This thread was talking about the unemployed of which actual unemployment is over 2.5m million people, Zippy brought in those on incapacity and disability too,so that takes the figure to over 4 million out of work at least with the 2 elements combined, how can the govt put over 4 million people into under 500,000 vacancies.
We are in the economics of madness and while I would agree there are likely scroungers in the benefits system there are likely more in business and among the very well off too,there was even a high number of scroungers among 650 MPs.
That does not mean the vast majority of sick, disabled, rich, poor, unemployed and MPs are all scroungers though.