Figures by the governments own Department for Work and Pensions reveal that in the two years and three months between December 2011 and February 2014, 2,380 people died shortly after being found fit for work – that’s 90 people a month are dying after being declared fit for work! The government were forced to reveal the figures after a ruling by the Information Commissioner’s Office, no further figures have since been released.
If declared ‘fit for work’ you cannot receive out-of-work disability benefits (ESA – Employment & Support Allowance), and are forced on to Job Seekers which requires you to prove you are looking for a job 35 hours a week, attend appointments, interviews, take any job offered – which in your condition you will not be able to do as you are not fit for work. You will then be punished (sanctioned), sometimes for months on end, when you will not receive any benefits whatsoever. No money to pay for rent, electricity, gas, council tax or food. This has lead to thousands of deaths.
Ken Loach in a QA following a screening of his film on this subject “I, Daniel Blake” at SOAS said
“You have to ask them – what is the crime for which hunger is the punishment? Because they know what they are doing!”
Anita Bellows, researcher with campaign group Disabled People Against the Cuts, said the group was
“very worried by the number of people who died within two weeks of being found fit for work”.
The mortality data was compiled in response to freedom of information requests, and was released by the department only following a ruling by the Information Commissioner’s Office in April 2015.
Cathy's father
“My late father was deemed [fit] for work despite having severe back problems and was forced to claim ESA (Employment and Support Allowance) after ill health forced him from being self employed for 40 years. He’d never claimed a penny in his life.
They said he could work and put him on job seekers but he couldn’t even walk to get a bus so was sanctioned for not attending his appointments.
I found him wearing 5 layers of clothes in his own home, no food no gas or elec.
I got involved and eventually got this decision reversed and he received his first payment of ESA 8 days after he died from pneumonia in hospital.”
Cathy shared her father’s story in response to Ken Loach’s film “I, Daniel Blake”, adding that “This film is absolutely a true reflection of life for some people – some closer to you than others. I can’t see this ever changing under a Tory government.”
Source
- https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/aug/27/thousands-died-after-fit-for-work-assessment-dwp-figures
- https://youtu.be/W3WW7-Y3kpU?feature=shared&t=2003
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_n7o30Ra60&lc=UgwM1j8hYIZTWACX6Hl4AaABAg
Other Interesting Posts:
#Filton10 Unjustly Imprisoned For 74 Days – Sign The Petition
Croydon BME Forum Cancels Immigration Enforcement
Unjustly Imprisoned For Over 50 Days – #Filton10 Day 53
#Filton10 Preliminary Hearing
Unjustly Imprisoned For Over A Month – #Filton10 Day 32
Community Demands Police Stop Facial Recognition Surveillance
Met’s Lead On Facial Recognition – Insightful Exchange
Stop Deportation Action – Stonebridge
Letter Of Support To BMA
Reflection: To Fight Hunger, To Fight Poverty, You Have To Fight Systemic Racism
Reflection: The Rape Clause
Reflection: Abortion Of Wanted Babies