It seems like we have been $hit on from a dizzy height. Sorry about the expression, but this I show it feels. When I apply for pip I will post the findings as apparently I am in a trial area. Mike
It seems like we have been $hit on from a dizzy height. Sorry about the expression, but this I show it feels. When I apply for pip I will post the findings as apparently I am in a trial area. Mike
While it is true that the Atossers are not on my Christmas card list, they are only doing their masters bidding. The blame lies firmly with the Old Etonian Party and the only long term answer is to send them packing at the next general election. I would say the same thing about the spineless Liberals, but they are likely to be extinct anyway, which is nothing more than they deserve.
In a surprising, and for many Benefits and Work members deeply dismaying, decision the DWP have announced this afternoon that Atos have won the biggest share of the contracts for carrying out personal independence payment (PIP) medicals. A smaller share has gone to Capita.
PIP is due to begin replacing disability living allowance (DLA) for working age claimants from April next year, with all current working age DLA claimants having to be reassessed for the new benefit. The contracts for PIP medicals are worth up to a billion pounds in total and have attracted the attention of many multinational companies.
Atos have won Lot 1 and Lot 3 in the bidding for the contracts. Lot 1 covers Scotland, NE England, NW England & Isle of Man while Lot 3 covers London and South England. Capita have won Lot 2, which covers Wales and Central England.
Lot 4 which covers Northern Ireland has not yet been awarded and Lot 5 is also up for grabs, but the DWP have said they do not intend to use Lot 5 unless things go wrong with regional suppliers.
Atos are deeply unpopular with many claimants and disability organisations due to their methods of assessing claimants for employment and support allowance. On Monday of this week, the company was the subject of a Panorama documentary and a Dispatches documentary looking at alleged failings in the way they carry out the work capability assessment.
Capita, which runs the Criminal Records Bureau on behalf of the Home Office and is invariably referred to as ‘Crapita’ by Private Eye, has no history of carrying out medical assessments for state benefits. The company has been involved in a number of less than successful public service contracts in the past, however, including Individual Learning Accounts which were subject to fraudulent claims on an unprecedented scale and which were shut down after just one year.
Amongst the unsuccessful bidders for the contracts so far awarded are G4S who are still reeling from the Olympics security fiasco, Serco, Avanta, Ingeus Deloitte, APM UK, Reed In Partnership and Vertex.
The fight now is to get Labour to promise they will get rid of Atos when they win the general election, and to reinstate a welfare system that is fair and humane, and to make sure they act on that promise.
(and yes agree, the lib dems are finished. Clegg killed them off)
Yep, it was Labour alright, but I somehow doubt it was ever intended to be implemented with the savagery of this Government and if it was my stance would be the same.
I don’t think anyone doubted that something needed to be done about the abuse of incapacity benefit, but this amounts to the persecution of the sick and disabled. Wasn’t it originally introduced in the eighties as invalid benefit to help reduce unemployment figures?
From what I remember DLA was going to be left alone for existing claimants, but could be wrong.
hi i was also told when i filled in DLA forms at CAB the girl said if your on DLA by the time the new system comes into play you will be left alone…could be wrong but i’m sure she said that
Sorry Baz, but it’s not that simple. Those on indefinite DLA awards will probably be the last to be reassessed, but it’ll come to us all sooner than we’d like. I remember a post not that long ago on here saying that lifetime/indefinite awards were scheduled for reassessment for PIP in 2016 with everyone else before then, but I think there is also the chance of being selected randomly before that. I could be wrong with the details though (anyone?).