The wonders of austerity

[Confidemus]

A direct result of one of Ian Duncan Smith's policies. I haven't seen this here yet, apologies if it's been discussed. Westminster disgust me.

http://www.autismdailynewscast.com/a-man-with-aspergers-syndrome-starved-to-death-after-benefits-cut/8319/joworgan/

Bampton, Oxford - Mark Wood, 44, starved to death after his benefits were cut. Mr Wood was only left with £40 a week to survive on after most of his benefits, including housing were stopped.

Atos Healthcare assessed that Mark Wood, from Bampton, was fit to work.

At Oxford Coroner’s Court the inquest into his death found that Mr Wood was not fit enough to work.

Mr Wood weighed just 5st 8lbs (78 pounds or just over 35 kilos) when he died in August 2013 of malnutrition. Mr Wood had Aspergers Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and phobias of food, pollution, paint fumes, and social situations.

His GP Nicolas Ward told the inquest:

He was an extremely vulnerable and fragile individual who was coping with life.

He adds:

Something pushed him or affected him in the time before he died and the only thing I can put my finger on is the pressure he felt he was under when his benefits were removed.

Dr Ward said he had not been contacted by Atos or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about Mr Wood’s medical history. He revealed that if they had asked him for a professional opinion he would have said that Mr Wood was unfit for work.

But in January last year Atos Healthcare assessed Mr Wood as fit to work and following this assessment in April last year Mr Wood’s housing benefits and employment support allowance were stopped.

The inquest heard he was not able to pay his rent or utility bills.

Mr Wood’s sister, Cathie Wood, 48, from North Oxford, told the Oxford Mail:

Atos are completely to blame. If they had not evaluated him as normal he would have carried on in his own way and would not have died last summer.

His mother Jill Gant, from Abingdon, told the coroner that they only found out Mr Wood did not have any money a few weeks before he died. They sent him £250.

Ms Wood said:

By then it was too late, he was so fragile and unstable. We didn’t realise how bad things were.

Between April and his death his body mass index (BMI) plunged to 11.5. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy. The inquest also stated that he had developed an eating disorder.

The Oxford Mail report that:

‘Pathologist Clare Verrill told the court that a BMI below 13 could kill a man but a cause of death could not be given because his body had decomposed. Mr Wood had last been seen alive on July 29 but his body was not discovered until August 9.’

His family are meeting Nicola Blackwood, Oxford West and Abingdon MP next week to try and find out why he was declared fit to work.

Atos Healthcare spokeswoman Tessa David said:

Our thoughts are with the family of Mr Wood at this difficult time.

We carry out the Government’s Work Capability Assessment as professionally and compassionately as possible.

DWP spokesman Ann Rimell said:

A decision on whether someone is well enough to work is taken following a thorough assessment and after consideration of all the supporting medical evidence from the claimant’s GP or medical specialist.

Tom Pollard, policy and campaigns manager at Mind, told TheGuardian:

"We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of Mark Wood. Unfortunately this tragic case is not an isolated incident. We hear too often how changes to benefits are negatively impacting vulnerable individuals, who struggle to navigate a complex, and increasingly punitive, system."

This is happening in a country which is the 7th richest in the world and where the Chancellor has an estimated personal wealth of £4million.

[Burma]

I have no words. Appalling.

[~~~]

Allowing someone to suffer and die what is no doubt a long slow very painful undignified death

Someone should be locked up for this, and that someone is the man in charge of the government who implemented the policy.

[Mr Bairn]

I know a guy that used to work for Atos. Emphasis on the used to. He resigned in a fit of rage when he realised this kind of thing is by no means rare.

[WFAANW]

Makes you proud to be British. Better Together

Nice to see us spunking a fortune on nuclear weapons too.

[eindhovendee]

Disgraceful behaviour from a shitty company and there are many more examples of their incompetence such as stopping benefits to a man deemed fit to work even though he was in a coma.

[Audaces Fortuna Juvat]

I couldn't, or wouldn't, condone, or attempt to condone, any of the aforementioned but, when I was off work post-operatively last year, they treated me very well and kept me off longer than my employers wanted, not clearing me to return until I was fully ready.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

Atos Healthcare spokeswoman Tessa David said:

Our thoughts are with the family of Mr Wood at this difficult time.

We carry out the Government’s Work Capability Assessment as professionally and compassionately as possible.

I almost spat my coffee out at this part.

ATOS Medicals are a fucking joke. Of the people that come to us for help with appeals etc, I'd say at least 7 out of 10 people have had a medical which consisted of being asked how they got to the assessment, asked to stand up, then sit down and that's it. They'll try every trick in the book to evade responsibility. Phone calls made on behalf of people have a surprisingly frequent tendency to be cut off. They are fucking arseholes. There's word that ATOS will lose/walk out of the Government contract. I hope this results in a significant proportion of their staff out of work and experiencing the same misery they regularly dole out to the rest of the public.

Ian Duncan Smith seems to be small-man syndrome encapsulated in one "human" being. You get the impression he's loving paying back the general public for his frequent and justified derision for being a ludicrously shit politician.

This is one of the most vindictive UK governments for decades. The sooner we are away from these fuckers the better.

[Carl Cort's Hamstring]

This really should be a national scandal.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

This really should be a national scandal.

It won't be.

Someone will mumble some ineffectual pish about "reviewing procedures", some Tory c**t will be wheeled out to tell us that everything's fab, and that people can simply walk into foodbanks and help themselves to scran.

[Lang Toun Lad]

there are many more examples of their incompetence

It's not really incompetence when they're being paid to do just that.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

It's not really incompetence when they're being paid to do just that.

Sadly correct. It's an awful system.

[ayrmad]

Why do so many people condemn ATOS, they are a private company following the brief they received from Westminster, it's Westminster that are testing people and condemning some folk to severe poverty not ATOS.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

Why do so many people condemn ATOS, they are a private company following the brief they received from Westminster, it's Westminster that are testing people and condemning some folk to severe poverty not ATOS.

I deal with them on a daily basis and know exactly how deliberately unhelpful and obstructive they can be.

[ayrmad]

I deal with them on a daily basis and know exactly how deliberately unhelpful and obstructive they can be.

That's not my point, they are doing the bidding of ConLib.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

That's not my point, they are doing the bidding of ConLib.

In terms of "targets" yes. In terms of deliberately obstructive service, and outright lying to people, no.

[Southside Hibee]

I heard that due to these Atos people telling people that they're fit for work 10,000 people have died, whether it be from suicide, being terminally ill or what happened to this poor guy it's unacceptable. In any other country Duncan-Smith and his toxic tories would be done for genocide.

[Mr Bairn]

I heard that due to these Atos people telling people that they're fit for work 10,000 people have died, whether it be from suicide, being terminally ill or what happened to this poor guy it's unacceptable. In any other country Duncan-Smith and his toxic tories would be done for genocide.

Seems like hyperbole

[ayrmad]

In terms of "targets" yes. In terms of deliberately obstructive service, and outright lying to people, no.

I think it'll just come with the territory.

How can you undertake such a hideous contract without the need to lie and be obstructive, I'll bet there are quite a few ATOS employees/ex-employees that regret choosing that course to pay the bills.

[Southside Hibee]

Seems like hyperbole

Well when there's a great proportion of terminally ill people being declared "fit for work" it's no surprise to see such high numbers. Remember now when someone is terminally ill they won't live for very long!