Stephen Smith, the emaciated man deemed fit for work has died.

[taxman 12]

2 hours ago, alchresearch said:

The problem is that ministers are toothless figureheads of the civil service departments they're drafted into for a short period (between reshuffles or elections).

 

So, Labour or Tory front end, you've still got the same civil service back end.

 

Yes Minister may have been a comedy show, but there's so much truth in it that it's frightening.  I speak from personal experience.

I disagree, and I speak from personal experiance.

 

Ministers set the tone and direction of their departments, hence May brought in the "hostile environment" ethos to the Home Office, and austerity obsessed ministers have seen that villifying benefits claiments and the sick plays well in the Tory media. Thay have encouraged a culture of harrassing claiments - no doubt based on some targets for cutting costs.

[ANGELFIRE1 10]

 My thoughts are with Mr Smith and his Family, no one who has an illness should be put through this appalling fiasco.

All these kinds of decisions are made for one reason and one reason only, to save brass for this snout in the trough Government.

 

Fact, the change from DLA to PIP was designed to save money, and get ill folk into work.

 

Fact, Frank Field MP, under the freedom of information act received figures from the OBR, The Office for Budget Responsibility that it now costs more to run PIP than the old DLA.

 

Fact, of the tens of thousands denied PIP, the numbers who win their case at Mandatory Reconsideration or the last gasp Tribunal, is an astonishing estimated 65%.

 

Fact, the PIP debacle is run by private companies, not the Government, who not surprisingly farmed it out to the private sector, wonder why.

 

Fact, 4 years ago the guy who installed my electric charger (for my Outlander PHEV) received 1k from the Government for the work. I asked him how on earth an hour or so work was paid at 1k. His answer, it's a Government contract and its cost is what it is.  Feeling cheeky I asked how many a day do you fit, his reply was, depending on the distance between jobs never less than four, but could be six on a good day. Looks like any one concerned with "The Government" is on the gravy train of plenty, while the ill and infirm are expected to help pay for it. DISGUSTING.

 

Angel1.

 

 

Edited April 23, 2019 by ANGELFIRE1

[Anna B 1,414]

I do hope the family od Stephen Smith, and anybody else who have lost a loved one to this iniquitous system, take the people responsible to court. I cannot understand how they continue to get away with it.

 

It's a national disgrace.

[Mister M 1,625]

1 hour ago, Anna B said:

I do hope the family od Stephen Smith, and anybody else who have lost a loved one to this iniquitous system, take the people responsible to court. I cannot understand how they continue to get away with it.

 

It's a national disgrace.

It was the likes of Stephen Smith that the United Nations Rapporteur Prof. Alston spoke about after his tour of the UK and concluded the  government is in denial about poverty in its own backyard

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46236642

Edited April 24, 2019 by Mister M

[melthebell 863]

On 23/04/2019 at 12:28, hauxwell said:

I would like to know what  medical qualifications the person has who said he was fit for work.  They should be held accountable and sacked from the job.

 

 

i dont think they have any medical qualifications? (i may be wrong?) i read if somebody can hold an empty cardboard box up in the air, they are deemed to be fit for work?

[hackey lad 3,976]

Thank you for changing the thread title 

[Anna B 1,414]

1 hour ago, Mister M said:

It was the likes of Stephen Smith that the United Nations Rapporteur Prof. Alston spoke about after his tour of the UK and concluded the  government is in denial about poverty in its own backyard

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46236642

Are they in denial? Or is it that they just don't care?

I've been appalled at some of the callousness demonstrated by the Tory party.

[alchresearch 214]

20 hours ago, Mister M said:

It was the likes of Stephen Smith that the United Nations Rapporteur Prof. Alston spoke about after his tour of the UK and concluded the  government is in denial about poverty in its own backyard

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46236642

The UN official who did a short whistle stop tour to selected areas, and quoting figures from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation - which have been found to be heavily biased over what poverty actually is, and has been discussed extensively on here.

 

[Mister M 1,625]

39 minutes ago, alchresearch said:

The UN official who did a short whistle stop tour to selected areas, and quoting figures from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation - which have been found to be heavily biased over what poverty actually is, and has been discussed extensively on here.

 

That doesn't mean to say that ministers aren't in denial; or that the treatment of disabled people by the DWP and whichever private company contracted is disgusting; or that the extent of the hardship suffered is casually dismissed by those who have a vested interest in downplaying its extent or significance; or that the experiences of the people who the UN official met aren't real.

Edited April 25, 2019 by Mister M

[Cyclone 10]

On 23/04/2019 at 12:28, hauxwell said:

I would like to know what  medical qualifications the person has who said he was fit for work.  They should be held accountable and sacked from the job.

 

 

They don't hold any do they?  The assessors get about 5 weeks of training and that's it.

On 23/04/2019 at 16:37, alchresearch said:

The problem is that ministers are toothless figureheads of the civil service departments they're drafted into for a short period (between reshuffles or elections).

 

So, Labour or Tory front end, you've still got the same civil service back end.

 

Yes Minister may have been a comedy show, but there's so much truth in it that it's frightening.  I speak from personal experience.

No, this isn't the problem.  These changes were introduced by the government, not by the civil service.  The CS is simply doing what they've been told they have to do.

[hauxwell 243]

 That’s awful, I thought they had to be a nurse, occupational therapists or doctor.

 

[tinfoilhat 11]

1 hour ago, hauxwell said:

 That’s awful, I thought they had to be a nurse, occupational therapists or doctor.

 

You don't need to be any of those things to fill in a form. 

 

I did read that you can answer all the questions positively and be "fit for work" while literally being in hospital. I don't know the accuracy of that though.