Category: work capability assessments

Disabled People to Target Maximus

‘Stop the Work Capability Assessment’ – that’s the demand from disability campaigners in Sheffield as they prepare to take action against the government’s new ‘fitness for work’ assessors Maximus.

The action by DPAC Sheffield is supported by Unite Community South Yorkshire and UKUncut Sheffield; up to 100 people will gather at 1pm on Monday, 2 March at Castle Square tram stop in Sheffield city centre followed by a march to the Maximus assessment centre at Hartshead Square.

Campaigners have already claimed victory in forcing the previous provider Atos out of the contract with DWP; they claim that Maximus is being paid twice as much for their contract whilst imposing judgements that have driven thousands of people to take their own lives after DWP removed their social security.

Protesters point out that this issue doesn’t only affect disabled people but also affects anyone who is injured or taken ill whilst working; Maximus are taking over NHS occupational health contracts that will affect working people signed-off as sick and unable to work.

Campaigners will be calling for NHS experts to take over all fitness for work and occupational health assessments.

Jennifer Dunstan of DPAC Sheffield said:

“ The Work Capability Assessment Scheme is a highly efficient government tool for getting deserving people off benefits and a frighteningly efficient way to drive those people to financial deprivation, starvation and suicide. The fact that long term disabled and sick people in receipt of benefits are being constantly used as a scape-goat, as a strain on the country’s finances is absolutely disgraceful, especially when you consider what a tiny percentage of the annual budget this represents.
It is alarming that this government is happier to actively target and sanction vulnerable people than it is to clamp down on and prosecute huge corporations like HSBC and other tax evaders. If they did, there would be no need for austerity. Being bombarded with stories of MPs complaining that they’re “scrabbling around” on £67,000 a year is offensive when we’re expected to survive below the poverty line. That’s what this protest is about; it’s a matter of survival.”

Protesters will be supported by people taking action against workfare and benefit sanctions ahead of a further action taking place later in March.

Stuart Smith of Unite Community South Yorkshire said:

“Our union keeps meeting people with “hidden” disabilities like mental health problems or dyslexia who are getting their benefits stopped through sanctions. This robs them of their dignity and makes it even harder for them to find work. It looks to us like some of the most vulnerable claimants are being picked on so that the DWP and Job Centres can reach their benefit sanction targets”.

Maximus HQ in Toronto, Canada will also be targeted by protesters on the same day.

Unite supports day of action against Work Capability Assessments

Members of Unite Community, part of the UK’s largest trade union, will be supporting Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) in a national day of action against the government’s Work Capability Assessments (WCA) and the corporation Maximus which has replaced ATOS as the contractor to carry out the assessment of disabled people for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

American for profit corporation Maximus take over WCAs on 1 March after previous contractor ATOS pulled out of the contract following a hugely successful campaign which highlighted that Work Capability Assessments were not fit for purpose and thousands of disabled people were put through huge hardship by a brutal tick-box regime that is designed to take people off benefits.

Unite equalities national officer Siobhan Endean said: “Unite disabled members are sending a message to Maximus. The company should realise it has taken up a poisoned chalice and pull out of this contract with the Condem government.

“The dreaded Work Capability Assessment costs lives. We supported disabled people in the campaign to convince ATOS to withdraw from the WCA contract, we will continue to support disabled people in the campaign against the Maximus until the government scraps the Work Capability Assessment and starts treating disabled people with dignity and justice.

“Maximus is taking over the WCA contract worth £500m, meanwhile little has changed: Maximus will be based in the same inaccessible buildings and the fundamental flaws of the assessment remain the same. At the heart of these assessments is the Tory governments drive to take people off benefits with a brutal and humiliating tick-box regime.

“We are calling on this government to stop this degrading policy and introduce a fairer transparent single assessment, operated within the public sector that restores dignity to the sick and disabled.”

In 2013, in cases where people have been deemed fit to work, and had their benefits’ cut over 40% have had their appeals upheld. However the appeals process can take months while some of the most vulnerable disabled are plunged into poverty.

The ‘tick-box’ nature of the tests does not cater for the complex nature of people’s illnesses, particularly for those with mental illness. This has also led in many cases to those with long term degenerative and terminal illnesses, such as Parkinson’s and cancer being told they were fit for work.