The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was forced by a
Freedom of Information request into releasing statistics that show between 2011
and 2014 2,380 people
who were declared ‘fit for work’ subsequently died within 14 days of the
assessment.
The Work Capability Assessments (WCA) were conducted by the
private health company Atos (now replaced by another private health firm,
Maximus) for the DWP. The DWP fought tooth and nail to stop the release of this
information and are now claiming that there is “no causal effect between the
WCA and the deaths” because the figures do not record the cause of death.
Which begs the question why was this information not
recorded by the DWP? Presumably, they think it is unimportant that these
assessments were clearly wrong, because as far as I can see there are no plans
to record this information in the future either.
If the DWP could be bothered they could even find this data
now, as the cause of death is recorded officially when death certificates are
issued for all deaths in the UK. They have no interest though.
The DWP under the leadership of Ian Duncan Smith has gone
out of its way to obscure, massage or straight forward fiddle all kinds of
statistics on welfare benefits from not
counting Universal Credit claimants in jobless figures to not
including claimants who have been sanctioned in the jobless total.
Basically, any figures put out by the DWP should be treated with extreme
caution, as they are likely to be a pack of lies.
Even so, I’m going to help the DWP out. Below is a list
compiled by the Scotland based Black
Triangle Campaign which campaigns for disabled people’s rights. This list
is only up until October 2014 and only a sample.
Ian Duncan Smith and the DWP should be thoroughly ashamed,
but experience suggests they will carry on in the same dishonest and callous
fashion as we have come to expect.
Terry
McGarvey, 48. Dangerously ill from polycytheamia, Terry asked for an
ambulance to be called during his Work Capability Assessment. He knew that he
wasn’t well enough to attend his WCA but feared that his benefits would be
stopped if he did not. He died the following day.
Elaine
Lowe, 53. Suffering from COPD and fearful of losing her benefits. In
desperation, Elaine chose to commit suicide.
Mark
Wood, 44. Found fit for work by Atos, against his Doctors advice and
assertions that he had complex mental health problems. Starved to death after
benefits stopped, weighing only 5st 8lb when he died.
Paul
Reekie, 48, the Leith based Poet and Author. Suffered from severe
depression. Committed suicide after DWP stopped his benefits due to an Atos
‘fit for work’ decision.
Leanne
Chambers, 30. Suffered depression for many years which took a turn for the
worst when she was called in for a WCA. Leanne committed suicide soon after.
Karen
Sherlock, 44. Multiple health issues. Found fit for work by Atos and denied
benefits. Fought a long battle to get placed into the support group of ESA.
Karen died the following month of a heart attack.
Carl
Payne, 42. Fears of losing his
lifeline benefits due to welfare reform led this Father of two to take his own
life.
Tim
Salter, 53. Blind and suffering from Agoraphobia. Tim hanged himself after
Atos found him fit for work and stopped his benefits.
Edward
Jacques, 47 years old and suffering from HIV and Hepatitis C. Edward had a
history of severe depression and self-harm. He took a fatal overdose after Atos
found him fit for work and stopped his benefits.
Linda
Wootton, 49 years old. A double heart and lung transplant patient. Died
just nine days after the government found her fit for work, their refusal
letter arriving as she lay desperately ill in her hospital bed.
Steven
Cawthra, 55. His benefits stopped by the DWP and with rising debts, he saw
suicide as the only way out of a desperate situation.
Elenore
Tatton, 39 years old. Died just weeks after the government found her fit
for work.
John
Walker, 57, saddled with debt because of the bedroom tax, John took his own
life.
Brian
McArdle, 57 years old. Suffered a fatal heart attack the day after his
disability benefits were stopped.
Stephen
Hill, 53. Died of a heart attack one month after being found fit for work,
even though he was waiting for major heart surgery.
Jacqueline
Harris, 53. A former Nurse who could hardly walk was found fit for work by
Atos and her benefits withdrawn. In desperation, she took her own life.
David
Barr, 28. Suffering from severe mental difficulties. Threw himself from a
bridge after being found fit for work by Atos and failing his appeal.
David
Groves, 56. Died of a heart attack the night before taking his work
capability assessment. His widow claimed that it was the stress that killed
him.
Nicholas
Peter Barker, 51. Shot himself after being told his benefits were being
stopped. He was unable to work after a brain haemorrhage left him paralysed
down one side.
Mark
and Helen Mullins, 48 and 59 years old. Forced to live on £57.50 a week and
make 12 mile trips each week to get free vegetables to make soup. Mark and
Helen both committed suicide.
Richard
Sanderson, 44. Unable to find a job and with his housing benefit cut
forcing him to move, but with nowhere to go. Richard committed suicide.
Martin
Rust, 36 years old. A schizophrenic man who killed himself two months after
the government found him fit to work.
Craig
Monk, 43. A vulnerable gentleman and a partial amputee who slipped so far
into poverty that he hanged himself.
Colin Traynor, 29, and suffering from epilepsy was stripped
of his benefits. He appealed. Five weeks after his death his family found he
had won his appeal.
Elaine Christian, 57 years old. Worried about her work
capability assessment, she was subsequently found at Holderness drain, drowned
and with ten self inflicted wrist wounds.
Christelle and Kayjah Pardoe, 32 years and 5 month old.
Pregnant, her benefits stopped, Christelle, clutching her baby son jumped from
a third floor balcony.
Mark Scott, 46. His DLA and housing benefit stopped and
sinking into deep depression, Mark died six weeks later.
Cecilia Burns, 51. Found fit for work while undergoing
treatment for breast cancer. She died just a few weeks after she won her appeal
against the Atos decision.
Chris Cann, 57 years old. Found dead in his home just months
after being told he had to undergo a medical assessment to prove he could not
work.
Peter Hodgson, 49. Called to JCP to see if he was suitable
for volunteer work. Peter had suffered a stroke, a brain haemorrhage and had a
fused leg. His appointment letter arrived a few days after he took his own
life.
Paul Willcoxsin, 33 years old. Suffered with mental health
problems and worried about government cuts. Paul committed suicide by hanging
himself.
Stephanie Bottrill, 53. After paying £80 a month for bedroom
tax, Stephanie could not afford heating in the winter, and lived on tinned
custard. In desperation, she chose to walk in front of a lorry.
Larry Newman suffered from a degenerative lung condition,
his weight dropping from 10 to 7 stone. Atos awarded him zero points, he died
just three months after submitting his appeal.
Paul Turner, 52 years old. After suffering a heart attack,
he was ordered to find a job in February. In April Paul died from ischaemic
heart disease.
Christopher Charles Harkness, 39. After finding out that the
funding for his care home was being withdrawn, this man who suffered with
mental health issues, took his own life.
Sandra Louise Moon, 57. Suffering from a degenerative back condition,
depression and increasingly worried about losing her incapacity benefit. Sandra
committed suicide by taking an overdose.
Lee Robinson, 39 years old. Took his own life after his
housing benefit and council tax were taken away from him.
David Coupe, 57. A Cancer sufferer found fit for work by
Atos in 2012. David lost his sight, then his hearing, then his mobility, and
then his life.
Michael McNicholas, 34. Severely depressed and a recovering
alcoholic. Michael committed suicide after being called in for a Work
Capability Assessment by Atos.
Victor Cuff, 59 and suffering from severe depression. Victor
hanged himself after the DWP stopped his benefits.
Charles Barden, 74. Charles committed suicide by hanging due
to fears that the Bedroom Tax would leave him destitute and unable to cope.
Ian Caress, 43. Suffered multiple health issues and
deteriorating eyesight. Ian was found fit for work by Atos, he died ten months
later having lost so much weight that his family said that he resembled a concentration
camp victim.
Iain Hodge, 30. Suffered from the life threatening illness,
Hughes Syndrome. Found fit for work by Atos and benefits stopped, Iain took his
own life.
Wayne Grew, 37. Severely depressed due to government cuts
and the fear of losing his job, Wayne committed suicide by hanging.
Kevin Bennett, 40. Kevin a sufferer of schizophrenia and
mental illness became so depressed after his JSA was stopped that he became a
virtual recluse. Kevin was found dead in his flat several months later.
David Elwyn Hughs Harries, 48. A disabled man who could no
longer cope after his parents died, could find no help from the government via
benefits. David took an overdose as a way out of his solitude.
Denis Jones, 58. A disabled man crushed by the pressures of
government cuts, in particular the Bedroom Tax, and unable to survive by
himself. Denis was found dead in his flat.
Shaun Pilkington, 58. Unable to cope any more, Shaun shot
himself dead after receiving a letter from the DWP informing him that his ESA
was being stopped.
Paul ?, 51. Died in a freezing cold flat after his ESA was
stopped. Paul appealed the decision and won on the day that he lost his battle
to live.
Chris MaGuire, 61. Deeply depressed and incapable of work,
Chris was summonsed by Atos for a Work Capability Assessment and deemed fit for
work. On appeal, a judge overturned the Atos decision and ordered them to leave
him alone for at least a year, which they did not do. In desperation, Chris
took his own life, unable to cope anymore.
Peter Duut, a Dutch national with terminal cancer living in
the UK for many years found that he was not entitled to benefits unless he was
active in the labour market. Peter died leaving his wife destitute, and unable
to pay for his funeral.
George Scollen, age unknown. Took his own life after the
government closed the Remploy factory he had worked in for 40 years.
Julian Little, 47. Wheelchair bound and suffering from
kidney failure, Julian faced the harsh restrictions of the Bedroom Tax and the
loss of his essential dialysis room. He died shortly after being ordered to
downgrade.
Miss DE, Early 50’s. Suffering from mental illness, this
lady committed suicide less than a month after an Atos assessor gave her zero
points and declared her fit for work.
Robert Barlow, 47. Suffering from a brain tumour, a heart
defect and awaiting a transplant, Robert was deemed fit for work by Atos and
his benefits were withdrawn. He died penniless less than two years later.
Carl Joseph Foster-Brown, 58. As a direct consequence of the
wholly unjustifiable actions of the Job centre and DWP, this man took his own
life.
Martin Hadfield, 20 years old. Disillusioned with the lack
of jobs available in this country but too proud to claim benefits. Utterly
demoralised, Martin took his own life by hanging himself.
Annette Francis, 30. A mum-of-one suffering from severe
mental illness, found dead after her disability benefits were ceased.
Ian Jordan, 60. His benefits slashed after Atos and the DWP
declared Ian, a sufferer of Barratt’s Oesophagus, fit for work, caused him to
run up massive debts in order to survive. Ian was found dead in his flat after
taking an overdose.
Janet McCall, 53. Terminally ill with pulmonary fibrosis and
declared ‘Fit for Work’ by Atos and the DWP, this lady died 5 months after her
benefits were stopped.
Stuart Holley, 23. A man driven to suicide by the DWP’s
incessant pressure and threat of sanctions for not being able to find a job.
Graham Shawcross, 63. A sufferer of the debilitating
disease, Addison’s. Died of a heart attack due to the stress of an Atos ‘Fit
for Work’ decision.
David
Clapson, 59 years old. A diabetic ex-soldier deprived of the means to
survive by the DWP and the governments harsh welfare reforms, David died all
but penniless, starving and alone, his electricity run out.
Chris Smith, 59. Declared ‘Fit for Work’ by Atos as he lay
dying of Cancer in his hospital bed.
Nathan Hartwell, 36, died of heart failure after an 18-month
battle with the Department for Works and Pensions.
Michael Connolly, 60. A Father of one, increasingly worried
about finances after his benefits were cut. Committed suicide by taking 13 times
the fatal dose of prescription medicine on the 30th October – His Birthday.
Jan Mandeville, 52, A lady suffering from Fibromyalgia,
driven to the point of mental and physical breakdown by this governments
welfare reforms. Jan was found dead in her home after battling the DWP for ESA
and DLA.
Trevor Drakard, 50 years old. A shy and reserved, severe
epileptic who suffered regular and terrifying fits almost his entire life,
hounded to suicide by the DWP who threatened to stop his life-line benefits.
Death of a severely disabled Dorset resident, unnamed, who
took her own life while battling the bedroom tax.
In late 2006, Disability Now! magazine focused on the lack of winter fuel payments entitlement for under 60's on Incapacity Benefit (IB), while people aged 60+ such as Harriet Harman with offices to spend their days in heated at public expense did get such payments. And a Labour backbench MP got figures of IB claim closures due to claimant death with seasonal breakdown from DWP showing statistical evidence that more IB claim closures due to claimant death occurred in winter.
ReplyDeleteSo, a few months later, around February 2007 Work & Pensions Secretary John Hutton said it was essential to get IB claimants back to work because, "After two years on IB, you are more likely to retire or die than get another job."
Dude Swheatie of Kwug