Atos Vigil

The Royal Courts of Justice, London
21st October 2013

By Tracey Dunn (With thanks to Kate Belgrave and Alan Wheatley)
Photos by Peter Marshall

The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) is trying to overturn a decision made in May which found the Workers' Capability Assessments carried out by Atos discriminated against people with mental health issues. If it's allowed to stand, the onus will be on the DWP to source all the claimants medical information at the start of the process. That is something they really don't want to do. People from various groups including Disabled People Against Cuts, Mental Health Resistance network, Winvisible and Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group held a vigil to remember all the people who have died after cruel Atos decisons.

Pauline Peters from Disabled People Against the Cuts was one of the main speakers, who talked about how, only the day before, someone in her town had jumped in front of a train, and that seventy three people a week are taking their own lives due to Atos decisions.

She told us about a man with cancer who had to wait eleven months for an Atos decision, whilst he and his wife lived on seventy pounds a week. Pauline read a poem she had written and told us "Our fight for justice will always go on".

Michael
"I don't like Atos. I've been called up twice by Atos in a year. The whole process is very stressful and disturbing. Some people lose their benefits and get dumped on Job Seekers allowance even though they have serious medical problems. I feel that it should be up to GP's to decide who gets disability benefits, not Atos".

Andy Greene
"We're here today to defend the victory that we've already won, where the courts have independently confirmed the policy discriminates against disabled people and the practice is harmful. We've known and said this from the outset. We'll continue to fight for the abolition of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and support for those that can work, equity for those that can't, and a policy which addresses the real barriers created by the structures and the institutions of the State and the market".

Winvisible
"We're here to support people with mental health disabilities who won the victory against the WCA to recognise the huge stress, anxiety and deaths that the WCA's have caused. We protest against the government appealing it. People with disabilities, starting with their mother's and other carers, are entitled to benefits for the work they are doing. They are contributing to society in many ways, including the work of surviving in a hostile, discriminatory and inaccessible society. The Government spends millions of pounds on wars and occupations in other countries, killing and disabling people, but they say there is no money for welfare and healthcare and that is a lie; we are entitled".

Liam Kirk
"I'm here to lend support to the 'Mental Health Resistance Network'. They are campaigning against the pernicious policies of the Coalition Government unleashed on the most vulnerable members of society. I campaigned with Occupy London two years ago, when it was clear that Government policy targeted against the mentally ill to take away their welfare money, drug them and leave them on the lowest form of existence".

Alan Wheatley
"I'm the secretary of 'Kilburn Unemployed Workers' Group' and one of our members was declared fit for work by Atos just after a cancer operation. Basically WCA's are done as a kind of witch hunt, cutting the numbers, and one of the worst things is the number of times people are assessed. Another of our members with mental health issues was sobbing at the time he was asked by Atos examiner to raise his hands above his head. Atos are given money for every person they get off sickness and disability benefits and they consistently lie".

Video of vigil by Kate Belgrave

Disabled People Against the Cuts - dpac.uk.net
Kilburn Unemployed Workers' Group - kilburnunemployed.blogspot.co.uk

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Sorry Comments Closed

Comment left by Redskye on 13th December, 2013 at 14:28
A really thorough and engaging report of a very crucial issue. The truth is "People are dying now!" and this information and campaign needs wider reporting. It's a well written and balanced report.