Anti-disabled people corporation Atos, unfit Commonwealth Games sponsor

This video from Britain says about itself:

1 March 2014

Atos and the DWP are killing disabled people

10,600 disabled people died within 6 weeks of their benefits being stopped in 2011, after which the data was declared vexatious and withdrawn from the public domain.

Estimates suggest 40,000 have died unnecessarily including many suicides.

By Rory MacKinnon in Scotland:

Disability activists spread Atos kills message at Commonwealth Games

Thursday 31st July 2014

HUNDREDS of Commonwealth Games tourists were surprised in Glasgow’s George Square yesterday as disability activists cried shame on sponsor Atos.

A clutch of demonstrators backing campaign group Glasgow Against Atos held banners and placards aloft — reading “ATOS KILLS” — in front of sports fans who were viewing the Glasgow 2014 sculpture and queueing for Games merchandise.

IT giant Atos has sought to boost its public profile by sponsoring database software for international sporting events, but campaigners have fought to expose its role in deadly cuts to disability benefits under a lucrative contract running “work capability assessments” for the Department of Work and Pensions.

Demonstrator Ronnie Swinton told the Morning Star he had come all the way from Dundee to voice his anger at Atos.

Mr Swinton said he had spent seven weeks “without any money,” depending on friends as he fought to appeal a decision that he was fit for work despite chronic depression.

Mr Swinton said he had eventually won his appeal but the stress had taken a further toll on his health.

“I was afraid of losing my flat.

“It would’ve given me a mental illness if I didn’t have one in the first place,” he said.

And a government proposal to simply switch contractors won’t solve the problems either, he added: “The whole system’s got to be stopped before any more people die.”

Several suicides have been linked to benefits being denied following Atos’ assessments, including “Miss DE” in 2011, whose identity remains protected, and blind agoraphobe Tim Salter, who took his own life in September last year.

The department says it does not record mortality rates for those deemed “fit for work.”

But figures released in 2012 suggested that 2,200 people had died before Atos had even completed their assessment — and 1,300 had died within six weeks of being shunted into “work related activity.”

In 2012 Paralympic athletes hid their branded lanyards at London’s Olympic opening ceremony, while Sport Disability Scotland told MSPs in April of athletes who could no longer afford to continue their sporting careers after losing out to an assessment.

17 thoughts on “Anti-disabled people corporation Atos, unfit Commonwealth Games sponsor”

ATOS are a disease for which the only cure is total eradication. The number of complaints about their work has brought them into disrepute and the DWP and the Government should be ashamed of retaining them.I have had benefit stopped twice by them and only won on re-appeals despite their own appeal board saying I should have the benefit but that they couldn’t grant it based on the paperwork in front of them.
I had a home visit from a doctor who decided I could walk 50 yards despite testing me for less than 4 yards settee to doorway.
A home visit from another doctor found I could adequately communicate despite my wife having to answer for me and he also filled in most of the form himself without bothering to ask the questions.
I won my re-appeals to the DWP but don;’t imagine it’s over yet. At least Wales isn’t using ATOS anymore.
Doctors know their patients and I’m sure the DWP could make payments/awards based on their assessments.

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petrel41 on July 31, 2014 at 8:27 am said:

Thanks for sharing your bad ATOS experiences!

Sarcastically, one might say you were still comparatively “lucky” as at least a doctor tested you; while often people are declared ‘fit for work’ by ATOS employees lacking any medical qualifications.

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ATOS don’t care they just want to make their figures look good. Profit and figure have over come care and compassion in this country it’s so sad. Working in care work it all to clear to see, the less spent and the more profit the better, when humans are on benefit they don’t produce profit so just let them wither and die.

WE NEED CHANGE !

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