Hi everyone

With apologies as this will be long.  I need to share this new academic research with you all as can’t be online too long today.

RE: Rethinking the WCA:

https://www.rethinkingincapacity.org/rethinking-the-work-capability-assessment-new-demos-report/

It’s been a while as I’m working off line most of the time.

This above link to a new academic report plus separate summary is significant and I am authorised by the authors to share as widely as possible.

Both are available via the above link.  Apologies if I have already sent this link to some of you.

“Indeed, academics have found that some disabled people live in

outright fear of the DWP’s ‘brown envelope’ calling them to an

assessment, with many claimants saying that the process

damages their health, and there are even anecdotal reports that

the stress of the assessment process has contributed to suicides

among claimants.”  P19

NB:

I know some have had concerns about some previous Demos reports in the past but I totally recommend any research by Kayleigh Garthwaite, Clare Bambra and the team at Durham Uni and invite you to please share this link as far and wide as possible.  The lead for this research is the great Ben Baumberg from Kent Uni who was joined by members of the Durham team.

It helps to press home with academic research evidence the need to scrap the WCA and use a real world test that many have been demanding.

This is more amo to that argument.

Caution:

All ‘experts’ it seems justify not scrapping the WCA as there is nothing yet in place to replace it.

WHY is this nonsense accepted?  The point is, surely, that the WCA is causing preventable harm, is unfit for purpose and is dangerous for all and fatal for many.

In any other situation [that is not medical tyranny imposed by government to reduce costs ] the above are all reasons to suspend any further WCAs until a replacement has been designed that meets with the full approval of the DPOs.

See:  

Progressive conditions and the WCA: Submission for the Year 5 Independent Review by 5 national charities:

http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/sites/default/files/progressiveconditionsdossier.pdf

BMA: Scrap WCA doctors demand: http://bma.org.uk/news-views-analysis/news/2012/june/scrap-work-capability-assessment-doctors-demand  2012

Work Capability Assessment (disability denial fraud): http://www.ukcolumn.org/forum/health/work-capability-assessmentdisability-denial-fraud  2013

BMA: People Awaiting a WCA: House of Lords briefing: http://bma.org.uk/working-for-change/policy-and-lobbying/westminster/briefings              2014

Consider:

The one important problem with reference to ‘work assessments’ is the disregard of diagnosis and especially prognosis, as identified by the 5 national charities in their report (link above)

This does not mean being restricted by what was once the medical model, but it does mean that a catastrophic diagnosis that has progressed to the point where the claimant was advised to leave work due to health concerns, with a  profound prognosis, should prevent people with these illness and others being considered for any WCA, instead of being disregarded and forced to endure an assessment that will ignore their plight, as with the present system.

It’s the fear and anxiety created by the WCA that makes ill people deteriorate so fast.

Does it really matter if you can pick up a £1 coin if you would struggle to breath when doing it??

By dismissing overwhelming fatigue and exhaustion, found in many profound illnesses, guarantees that being judged fit to work, when physically incapable of getting to the Job Centre, is pointless and, much more to the point, it’s cruel.

And as for ‘variable’, ‘fluctuating’ or ‘progressive’ conditions, it seems that no corporate OT giant manages to comprehend it and Freud remains totally unaware that it is possible to be ill for the rest of your life.  Clearly, he believes all conditions can be cured.  Fatalities will continue if diagnosis is still disregarded, regardless of any new government.

No OT doctor or therapist I have spoken with in the past 5 years thinks it acceptable NOT to be alert to diagnosis and recent past medical history before treating a patient…

Why is this protocol dismissed when assessing benefit claimants apart from at the design of Unum Insurance who advised the UK gvt on welfare ‘reforms’ – how to reduce costs – for 20 years.  The WCA is a replica of the ‘disability denial practice’ of Unum who continue to be sued in the US for their ‘disability denial practices.’

The presumption by poorly briefed  MPs who still talk of ‘disability’ or ‘impairment’ whilst totally disregarding the numbers on or claiming ESA due to the fact that they are very, very ill – and totally incapable of committing to any work – still tends to be completely overlooked.

I for one would resist the suggestion in the new Demos report of any ‘wide-ranging expert panel’ unless so called OT  ‘experts’ could be vetoed – ie no ‘expert’ from the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM) with links to any corporate giant involved with the DWP or the DWP  £multi-million contracts via unaccountable corporate giants.

Will there be any OT experts left I wonder ??

So called ‘experts’ with links to Capita, Maximus or Unum etc should be vetoed as should be the DWP CMO – there’s an ongoing conflict of interest at the FOM that no-one as yet has picked up on, and let’s not forget the members of COHPA – as created by Atos - … who tend to sit around the Board table at the FOM…

THESE people tend to be the 1^st port of call for the DWP when putting together so called ‘expert’ panels on occupational health…. when there is a clear conflict of interest.

Remember:

The Psychological Impact of Austerity : a very important briefing paper by Psychologists against Austerity.

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21505

How many more academic papers, select committee reports, research or press coverage will there need to be before this identified American imported medical tyranny is finally fully exposed?  How many more people will die from stress related CA, suicides or a dramatic deterioration in already poor health due to fear of the WCA??

Unless and until the background to the devlopment of the WCA is more widely exposed I remain sceptical that any reasonable improvements to the dangerous WCA will be considered regardless of government.

The WCA was designed to resist the funding of long-term sickness benefit and there is still a tendancy to disregard the fact that there’s a huge difference between being disabled, but otherwise well, and being very ill which creates the impairment. 

Contact with FOM

As the DWP continue to totally disregard all human consequences of the reforms due to austerity measures, I have challenged the President of the FOM and, finally, I had contact from Richard Heron who claims he will discuss the evidence of harm with colleagues and get back to me…

Time will tell if the highest medical authority in the land in Occupational Medicine will do anything other than disregard all provided evidence, as did his predecessor in 2013.  I will get back to you if I get a response to my letter from the President of the FOM…

I have been invited to provide a copy of the letter sent to the FOM, now attached FYI and edited for my personal security.

Caution:

I have also been invited to provide another copy of Samuel’s disturbing death totals, that the DWP still refuse to acknowledge or publish.

For anyone who is not familiar with this list it is disturbing and there are many recorded suicides linked to the welfare reforms and sanctions.

Considering that 45% of all ESA claimants have mental health as their primary condition, this isn’t too surprising but reading it can be distressing.

Enjoy the Easter break and let’s hope this country doesn’t elect a majority Conservative government in May…

I’m working offline most of the time so may delay responding to any incoming emails.

Apologies for a very long email J

Take care of you.

Mo

Mo Stewart

Disabled veteran (WRAF)

Disability studies researcher

Retired healthcare professional

http://disability-studies.leeds.ac.uk/library/author/stewart.mo

www.whywaitforever.com/dwpatosveterans.html#documents 

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