Atos

Benefits and Poverty

October 23, 2015

3

Michael O’Sullivan scandal: DWP twice pushed dad-of-two to suicide bids

A disabled man whose suicide led a coroner to deliver a ground-breaking verdict that his death was triggered by being found “fit for work” had already tried to take his own life because of government attempts to force him back to work. The case of Michael O’Sullivan caused a national outcry last month when

Benefits and Poverty

Street sign showing Parliament Street and Whitehall

October 23, 2015

1

Michael O’Sullivan scandal: Inquest notes expose shocking failings of WCA system

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The shocking failings of the work capability assessment system – and the healthcare assessors who are paid to police it – have been exposed by the family of one of its victims. Disability News Service (DNS) revealed last month how a coroner had demanded action from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) following

Benefits and Poverty

September 25, 2015

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Michael O’Sullivan inquest: Atos ‘has no idea’ if surgeon is still assessing claimants

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Government contractor Atos Healthcare claims it has no idea if a former surgeon whose flawed assessment of a disabled man helped trigger his suicide is still testing people with mental health conditions for their eligibility for disability benefits. Disability News Service (DNS) approached Atos following last week’s revelation that a coroner had demanded government

Benefits and Poverty

A wheelchair-user sits in front of a stage, while the grass is covered by white flowers

September 18, 2015

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Coroner’s ‘ground-breaking’ verdict: Suicide was ‘triggered’ by ‘fit for work’ test

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A coroner has demanded that the government takes action to prevent future deaths of disability benefit claimants, after concluding in a “ground-breaking” inquest verdict that a disabled man killed himself as a direct result of being found “fit for work”. It is believed to be the first time that a coroner has blamed the

Employment

August 28, 2015

6

New ‘fitness for work’ firm ‘discriminates against disabled staff’

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The controversial US outsourcing giant brought in to deliver “fitness for work” tests for the government is facing allegations that it discriminates against disabled staff, and has sacked hundreds of nurses shortly after tempting them to leave the NHS. Maximus only took over the contract to provide work capability assessments (WCAs) in March but

Benefits and Poverty

August 21, 2015

39

New claims of Atos assessment lies are ‘tip of a massive iceberg’

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New evidence proves that the controversial outsourcing contractor Atos should be stripped of all of its disability benefit assessment contracts, say disabled campaigners. Fresh concerns about the behaviour of Atos and its assessors emerged after Disability News Service (DNS) revealed last week how an Atos nurse repeatedly lied about a disabled man he was

Benefits and Poverty

August 14, 2015

108

Atos nurse ‘lied’ about PIP claimant attending assessment alone

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A nurse working for the controversial outsourcing company Atos Healthcare repeatedly lied about a disabled man he was assessing for the government’s new disability benefit it has been claimed. The Atos assessor stated in his report that claimant Colin Stupples-Whyley had attended the personal independence payment (PIP) assessment alone, even though his partner David*

Benefits and Poverty

Hundreds of white flowers lying on grass

July 31, 2015

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PIP claimants five times more likely to face delays if tested by Atos, DWP admits

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The proportion of disabled people stuck in the queue to be assessed for the government’s new disability benefit is more than five times higher in parts of the country managed by Atos Healthcare, Disability News Service (DNS) can reveal. Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures produced in response to a DNS freedom of

Benefits and Poverty

January 30, 2015

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IDS breaks pledge on PIP waiting-times, as tens of thousands still queue for months

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Government ministers have broken their high-profile promise to slash all waiting-times for the new disability benefit to less than four months. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) refused to comment yesterday (Thursday) on the broken promise that – by the end of 2014 – no new claimant would be waiting longer than 16

Benefits and Poverty

January 23, 2015

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Capita ready to dump scores of assessors after ‘cutting PIP backlog’

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One of the two outsourcing giants that won contracts to assess people for the government’s new disability benefit could make a fifth of its assessment staff redundant, months after recruiting them to clear a huge claims backlog. Capita has about 400 disability assessors, whose job is to test disabled people for their eligibility for

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