ATOS sponsor the Paralympic Games

[Porn Baron]

I couldn't believe this when I just read it.

Is this Irony?

ATOS champions of the disabled !cigar!

[David Johnson]

No, not irony, but more about the wonders of corporate involvement in our benefit system.

I am sure ATOS will be able to come up with examples of terminal cancer patients, formerly lounging around on benefits but having failed the ATOS disability test, now encouraged to play a full part in society and compete in the wheelchair marathon. And be sponsored by ATOS.

How fantastic is that!

[Porn Baron]

I watched the secret filming of training given to doctors recruited by Atos last night. They were given targets as opposed to giving a genuine assessment of whether sickness and disability benefit applicants were fit for work.
Disgusting company!

[David Johnson]

Personally, I have nothing against people on disabililty benefits being re-assessed because ever since Thatcher, governments have been shunting people onto disability benefits to massage the unemployment figures.

But it has to be done in a fair and humane way. The current system seems to be more to do with spreading fear and distress rather than an accurate approach to assessing people. Otherwise there would not be such a big percentage of ATOS decisions overturned by independent tribunals.

Hopefully this is another nail in the coffin of the insidious build-up of unscrupulous, grasping private companies in the public sector that has developed over the last 30 years.

Mind, I will believe the changes when I see them.

[David Johnson]

ANother delightful, heartwarming bit of news with regard to the assessment process.

Apparently the number of successful appeals against the ATOS decisions re. readiness for work is really irking our esteemed employment minister, Chris Grayling.

The Ministry of Justice courts service had produced a video that helps people appealing against decisions to remove their disability and sickness benefits. It contained information about the appeals process including statistics that if you appeared in person at the tribunal you were twice as likely to win the appeal. Apparently Grayling has demanded a whole host of changes to the video, exactly those parts of the video which "claimants found most helpful".

The Ministry of Justice has been forced to pull the video and get it off youtube.

[Porn Baron]

Chris Grayling makes me want to !puke! Yet another thief who robs the tax payer at every opportunity.

Chris Grayling claimed thousands of pounds to renovate a flat in central London ? bought with a mortgage funded at taxpayers? expense, even though his constituency home is less than 17 miles from the House of Commons.