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You are here: Home / Archives for fitness for work

fitness for work

Call for second Jodey Whiting inquest increases pressure for DWP deaths inquiry

By John Pring on 9th January 2020 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Call for second Jodey Whiting inquest increases pressure for DWP deaths inquiry
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A mother who has asked the attorney general for permission to seek a second inquest into her disabled daughter’s suicide says it would boost growing calls for an inquiry into all deaths linked to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). […]

Shadow chancellor backs call for criminal investigation into Duncan Smith and Grayling

By John Pring on 5th December 2019 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Shadow chancellor backs call for criminal investigation into Duncan Smith and Grayling
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Labour’s shadow chancellor has joined disabled campaigners in backing calls for a criminal probe into the actions of former Tory ministers and senior civil servants, following the publication of a five-year investigation into the deaths of disabled benefit claimants. The 12,000-word […]

Ministers push ahead with single face-to-face assessments for disability benefits

By John Pring on 17th October 2019 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Ministers push ahead with single face-to-face assessments for disability benefits
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Ministers are pushing ahead with controversial plans to merge two disability benefit assessments into one, despite concerns raised by disabled campaigners. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) wants to offer a single face-to-face assessment – with the agreement of the […]

Lobby aims to persuade MPs that DWP must First Do No Harm on assessments

By John Pring on 24th January 2019 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Lobby aims to persuade MPs that DWP must First Do No Harm on assessments
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Disabled activists are hoping to use a parliamentary meeting next month to persuade more MPs that action must be taken to prevent further deaths caused by the government’s much-criticised fitness for work test. The First Do No Harm lobby on 13 […]

‘Fit for work’ assessor suspended for describing examination that did not take place

By John Pring on 21st June 2018 Category: Benefits and Poverty

‘Fit for work’ assessor suspended for describing examination that did not take place
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An occupational therapist who carried out a “misleading” benefit assessment has been suspended for a year after regulators found she reported carrying out a physical examination of a disabled man that did not take place. Paru Vekaria has shown no remorse […]

DWP figures on ‘unacceptable’ WCA reports cast doubt on decisions made on tens of thousands of ESA claims

By John Pring on 10th May 2018 Category: Benefits and Poverty

DWP figures on ‘unacceptable’ WCA reports cast doubt on decisions made on tens of thousands of ESA claims
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Tens of thousands of “fitness for work” benefit claims could have been decided by civil servants on evidence from assessment reports that should have been rejected because their quality was “unacceptable”, government figures suggest. The concerns about the way Department for […]

Letter calls on GP body to denounce DWP’s ‘fit for work coercion’

By John Pring on 26th April 2018 Category: Activism and Campaigning

Letter calls on GP body to denounce DWP’s ‘fit for work coercion’
Listen

The national membership body for GPs is facing calls for it to denounce government attempts to persuade doctors to “coerce” patients with serious health conditions back into work. More than 90 campaigners and concerned health professionals have sent a joint letter […]

DWP presentation on ESA plans ‘confirms worst fears’ about green paper

By John Pring on 30th March 2017 Category: Benefits and Poverty

DWP presentation on ESA plans ‘confirms worst fears’ about green paper
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Ministers have been accused of ignoring a public consultation and ploughing ahead with plans that will make their “fitness for work” testing regime even more stressful and unfair for sick and disabled people. A presentation delivered by two senior Department for […]

Questions over DWP’s further medical evidence pilot secrecy

By John Pring on 16th February 2017 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Questions over DWP’s further medical evidence pilot secrecy
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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is facing questions over why it failed to release the results of a pilot project that was supposed to correct a fatal flaw in its “fitness for work” test. DWP had promised a judge […]

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

By John Pring on 28th August 2015 Category: Employment

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 […]

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Image of front cover of The Department, showing a crinkled memo with the words 'Restricted - Policy. The Department. How a Violent Government Bureaucracy Killed Hundreds and Hid the Evidence. John Pring.' Next to the image is a red box with the following words in white: 'A very interesting book... a very important contribution to this whole debate' - Sir Stephen Timms, minister for social security and disability. plutobooks.com and the Pluto Press logo.

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