News

{jcomments on}The Daily Record reports that 55% of claimants found fit for work by Atos Healthcare have been left unemployed and without any income. The figures were released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) after a Freedom of Information request was made by a member of the public.

A report compiled by the DWP also showed that 30% of claimants found fit for work by Atos were in receipt of benefits, and that only 15% had found employment. The initial DWP survey of 1100 claimants found fit for work was later followed up by a survey of 590 claimants. Of those 590 claimants, 43% remained unemployed and without income, 28% were receiving benefits, and 29% were employed. The two surveys were undertaken between April and June 2009.

The Record describes the experience of Margaret Monaghan who has been found fit for work by Atos on four separate occasions. She says that “​At my lowest point I truly wish that the cancer treatment hadn'​t worked, because I feel the life I have been left with just isn'​t worth living ...”​ The Record also reports the experience of Joyce Drummond, a former Atos nurse who was told to mark people as fit for work if they could write, or if they showed up properly dressed for their interviews.

Michael Meacher, MP has launched a campaign against Atos after the death of one of his constituents. He told the Record “​There are thousands of people being told wrongly that they are able to work. The government have admitted that 11,000 people forced on to work-related activity after assessments have died before getting work... I am trying to gather all the cases I can, because this is a massive injustice. I am prepared to campaign for months or years until this is addressed properly.”​

The report can be found here