[user104658]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

This is the 5th case that can be directly linked to removal of incapacity/sickness benefit as a direct cause of suicide in the UK that I'm aware of, I feel the true figure will be much higher and due to recent news reports it's going to get much worse.

There have also been several reported incidents involving people deemed "fit for work" pushing themselves too hard to find work / going back into work (self-employed tradesmen for example taking jobs again) and then ending up hospitalized or dead because they've pushed themselves too hard (in other words, they were clearly NOT fit for work).

My mother has been on disability for the better part of ten years, she has serious degradation of a few vertebrae in her lower back. When she's at her worst, she can barely walk, and is in near-constant agony even on strong painkillers. When she's at her best she can get around fairly well. Of course, she had an ATOS meeting when she was at her best, and her disability was stopped immediately (she was living on £50 a week having also been hit with bedroom tax). Of course, she pushed herself a little too hard and her back went, badly. She was then reassessed by them and had her benefits reinstated (and backdated) - so she was lucky, as they're rarely willing to reinstate after they've successfully pushed someone "off the books"... but the point is, she had to go through extreme levels of pain and was off her feet completely for weeks because she was deemed "fit for work", before they would admit that she clearly is not. The assessment system is obscene - and it's geared towards hitting targets, rather than making genuine assessments.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

There have also been several reported incidents involving people deemed "fit for work" pushing themselves too hard to find work / going back into work (self-employed tradesmen for example taking jobs again) and then ending up hospitalized or dead because they've pushed themselves too hard (in other words, they were clearly NOT fit for work).

My mother has been on disability for the better part of ten years, she has serious degradation of a few vertebrae in her lower back. When she's at her worst, she can barely walk, and is in near-constant agony even on strong painkillers. When she's at her best she can get around fairly well. Of course, she had an ATOS meeting when she was at her best, and her disability was stopped immediately (she was living on £50 a week having also been hit with bedroom tax). Of course, she pushed herself a little too hard and her back went, badly. She was then reassessed by them and had her benefits reinstated (and backdated) - so she was lucky, as they're rarely willing to reinstate after they've successfully pushed someone "off the books"... but the point is, she had to go through extreme levels of pain and was off her feet completely for weeks because she was deemed "fit for work", before they would admit that she clearly is not. The assessment system is obscene - and it's geared towards hitting targets, rather than making genuine assessments.

Spot on and I am really glad to hear at last that your Mother got her benefits re-instated and backdated.
It still doesn't justify the heartless stress she has been forced to go through meantime.

This Govt will have a lot more to answer for yet I feel sure as to these ridiculous and badly planned re-assessments.
For me, I still hope these policies see this lot well and truly turfed out in 2015.
I really hope this is the last full year of this heartless and arrogant bunch of misfits.