The government is refusing to release information that would reveal which ministers and civil servants decided how to respond to the death of a man who killed himself as a direct result of being found “fit for work”. Disability News Service […]
work capability assessment
‘Fitness for work test and sanctions helped kill my brother’
The sister of a disabled man who died just three months after being found fit for work and then having his benefits sanctioned says the government’s discredited work capability assessment (WCA) system was partly responsible for her brother’s death. Luke Alexander […]
Disability Rights UK wins contract to teach equality to Maximus
A national disabled people’s organisation is to provide disability equality training workshops to staff from the controversial US-owned company that won the government contract to assess people’s “fitness for work”. Disability Rights UK (DR UK) will provide training to about 1 […]
Michael O’Sullivan inquest: Chief coroner silent over WCA ‘future deaths’ reports
The chief coroner of England and Wales has refused to act after it emerged that only one coroner has written an official report warning that lives could be put at risk by the government’s “fitness for work” test. Disability News Service […]
New ‘fitness for work’ firm ‘discriminates against disabled staff’
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 […]
IDS announces ‘fitness for work’ U-turn that was five years in the making
Work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith appears set to scrap the “fitness for work” test championed by successive Labour, coalition and Conservative governments, but there are fears that its replacement could prove even more damaging to disabled people. Duncan Smith […]
Long-awaited deaths stats ‘do not tell the whole story’
The long-delayed release of government figures on the deaths of benefit claimants has added fuel to years of concerns about the impact of aggressive welfare reform on sick and disabled people. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) released two sets […]
New claims of Atos assessment lies are ‘tip of a massive iceberg’
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 […]
Report finds evidence to back ‘real world’ alternative to ‘toxic’ WCA
A new report has called for the “toxic” work capability assessment (WCA) to be scrapped and replaced with something that paints a more realistic picture of the barriers disabled people face in society. The Rethinking the Work Capability Assessment report, by […]
Activist felt ‘violated’ after judge used Google to compile dossier
A disabled activist has described feeling “violated” after she learned a judge had compiled a dossier of evidence about her community and campaigning work while assessing whether the government’s “fitness for work” test posed a risk to her health. DM was […]