[badcheesecrispy]

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigat...medium=twitter

More than a thousand *sickness benefit claimants died last year after being told to get a job, we can reveal.

We've highlighted worries about the controversial medical tests for people claiming Employment Support Allowance which are being used to slash the country's welfare bill.

The Government has boasted that more than half of new *claimants are found "fit to work" - failing to mention that over 300,000 have appealed the decision and almost 40% have won.

Instead, employment minister Chris Grayling (below) says this "emphasises what a complete waste of human lives the current system has been".

We've used the Freedom of Information Act to discover that, between January and August last year, 1,100 claimants died after they were put in the "work-related activity group".
This group - which accounted for 21% of all claimants at the last count - get a lower rate of benefit for one year and are expected to go out and find work.

This compares to 5,300 deaths of people who were put in the "support group" - which accounts for 22% of claimants - for the most unwell, who get the full, no-strings benefit of up to £99.85 a week.

We don't know how many people died after being found "fit to work", the third group, as that information was "not available".

But we have also found that 1,600 people died before their assessment had been completed.

This should take 13 weeks, while the claimant gets a reduced payment of up to £67.50 a week, but delays have led to claims the system is in "meltdown".

Mr Grayling admitted last month that 35,000 people are waiting longer than 13 weeks. Commenting on the deaths of *claimants, a Department for Work and Pensions official said: "It is possible that the claimant had already closed their claim and then *subsequently died, meaning that these figures may be *overestimating the true picture."

Of course, they're bound to include some people who died of *something completely unrelated to their benefit claim.

This makes me feel sick. And anyone who agrees ill people should be left to die so they can save a few quid a week are likewise, sick. I am a taxpayer who works hard and this disgusts me. I want my taxes helping people who need it. This government are taking the piss more and more every single week. They need a kick up the backside by a big working class size 10.

[Aj12]

How do you know they died because they went back to work? Say a guy got hit by a bus would that count as a death in those statistics? I can see there is an issue here but the article seems to assume all those people died because they were sent back to work.

[badcheesecrispy]

(Original post by Aj12)
How do you know they died because they went back to work? Say a guy got hit by a bus would that count as a death in those statistics? I can see there is an issue here but the article seems to assume all those people died because they were sent back to work.

I agree the article does mention that though. The issue is with them finding clearly ill people fit for work who are then dying:

'David Groves died from a heart attack the night before taking his work *capability assessment.

The 56-year-old, from Staveley, Derbyshire, worked for 40 years as a miner and telecoms engineer but stopped on doctors' orders after an earlier heart attack and a string of strokes. His widow Sandra said: "When Dave was called in for a medical, he felt like he was back to square one.

"He was in a terrible state by the day he died. It was the stress that killed him, I'm sure."

Stephen Hill, 53, of Duckmanton, Derbyshire, died of a heart attack in December, one month after being told he was "fit to work", even though he was waiting for major heart surgery.'

[badcheesecrispy]

How typical of the Tory morons:

'The work capability assessments are carried out by private firm Atos, on a £100million a year contract.

The firm made a £42million profit in 2010 and paid boss Keith Wilman £800,000, a 22% pay rise on the previous year.'

These work 'assessors' arnt even qualified health practitioners. The whole thing is a scam. I see it as pre meditated sly genocide on the unwell and infirm. This government will be a one term wonder and I am pretty sure of that.

[Lil Piranha]

Do you have any reputable sources for this, or is this another piece of over-sensationalised propaganda?

[badcheesecrispy]

(Original post by Lil Piranha)
Do you have any reputable sources for this, or is this another piece of over-sensationalised propaganda?

When you cant think of any counter argument you pick at the source. They give many stats and also tell where they got them from.

But its ok, throw the 'propaganda' 'bad source' line out and you can carry on pretending this isnt true.

[ShocknAwe]

It's a small minority of people, who cares?
We the taxpayer cannot fund all the lazy pieces of garbage that suck up all our money. So a couple of people die because they are actually 'sick', well many more people die from all sorts of stupid things from car crashes to eating bad food.

[Elipsis]

(Original post by badcheesecrispy)
I agree the article does mention that though. The issue is with them finding clearly ill people fit for work who are then dying:

'David Groves died from a heart attack the night before taking his work *capability assessment.

The 56-year-old, from Staveley, Derbyshire, worked for 40 years as a miner and telecoms engineer but stopped on doctors' orders after an earlier heart attack and a string of strokes. His widow Sandra said: "When Dave was called in for a medical, he felt like he was back to square one.

"He was in a terrible state by the day he died. It was the stress that killed him, I'm sure."

Stephen Hill, 53, of Duckmanton, Derbyshire, died of a heart attack in December, one month after being told he was "fit to work", even though he was waiting for major heart surgery.'

WTF does someone dying the night before an assessment prove? Do you honestly think they shouldn't check whether the people claiming sickness are actually sick or something?

I would imagine that out of 300,000 people almost all aged over 40 about 1000 of them would die in any given year.

[Elipsis]

(Original post by badcheesecrispy)
How typical of the Tory morons:

'The work capability assessments are carried out by private firm Atos, on a £100million a year contract.

The firm made a £42million profit in 2010 and paid boss Keith Wilman £800,000, a 22% pay rise on the previous year.'

These work 'assessors' arnt even qualified health practitioners. The whole thing is a scam. I see it as pre meditated sly genocide on the unwell and infirm. This government will be a one term wonder and I am pretty sure of that.

Genocide LOOOOL.

[Drewski]

(Original post by badcheesecrispy)
These work 'assessors' arnt even qualified health practitioners.

If that's so important to you, why quote some guy's widow when no mention is made of her medical knowledge, as you did here:

(Original post by badcheesecrispy)
His widow Sandra said: "When Dave was called in for a medical, he felt like he was back to square one.

"He was in a terrible state by the day he died. It was the stress that killed him, I'm sure."

[badcheesecrispy]

(Original post by ShocknAwe)
It's a small minority of people, who cares?
We the taxpayer cannot fund all the lazy pieces of garbage that suck up all our money. So a couple of people die because they are actually 'sick', well many more people die from all sorts of stupid things from car crashes to eating bad food.

You are a disgusting and vile human being.

These people arnt lazy, a lot of them have worked for years and paid more into the system than you who are probably a stupid young student who knows sod all about the world. If a person is ill they can not work, its as simple as that.

You are clearly too docile to realise that that isnt the point anyway, everyone dies. The point is that these schemes are designed to kick sick people off their benefit. Why dont you just admit, as you know its true, that many sick people cannot work? Im not saying there shouldnt be tests to see if a person can work, but these are clearly not fit for purpose. You are a bit of a Nazi if you agree with starving ill people and leaving them with nothing. You'll see what happens when the tories go too far with these cuts. More rich households being robbed, streets more dangerous. Take everything from people and they have nothing to lose.

The UK is a hotbed for selfish rats who only care about themselves. You should hang your heads in shame. And I say this as a taxpayer, which I severely doubt many of the thicko students on here are.

[badcheesecrispy]

(Original post by Elipsis)
WTF does someone dying the night before an assessment prove? Do you honestly think they shouldn't check whether the people claiming sickness are actually sick or something?

I would imagine that out of 300,000 people almost all aged over 40 about 1000 of them would die in any given year.

To be honest, I think a mans wife knows more about him than an unqualified health practitioner. She isnt the one giving a professional opinion that can dictate to whether someone has a roof over their heads.

[ArcadiaHouse]

(Original post by ShocknAwe)
It's a small minority of people, who cares?
We the taxpayer cannot fund all the lazy pieces of garbage that suck up all our money. So a couple of people die because they are actually 'sick', well many more people die from all sorts of stupid things from car crashes to eating bad food.

It sounds like the only "piece of garbage" here is you.

lol @ these keyboard warriors thinking they're 'sticking up for the taxpayer' by sneering at sick people

[willbee]

(Original post by ShocknAwe)
It's a small minority of people, who cares?
We the taxpayer cannot fund all the lazy pieces of garbage that suck up all our money. So a couple of people die because they are actually 'sick', well many more people die from all sorts of stupid things from car crashes to eating bad food.

hello folks! looks like we've found ourselves a troll here!!

[cl_steele]

i doubt they all died just because they were sent 'back to work' ... its not like its a Gulag is or concentration camp is it?

[gateshipone]

(Original post by badcheesecrispy)
"The 56-year-old, from Staveley, Derbyshire, worked for 40 years as a miner and telecoms engineer but stopped on doctors' orders after an earlier heart attack and a string of strokes."

Fair enough, he was clearly unfit for heavy duty work like mining. However there's no reason he couldn't have done an office based job in a low stress environment. The article seems to suggest that if you're found fit for work, you'll be forced back down a mine or forced into a job you clearly can't do. What it actually means is that there are jobs out there that, even with a medical condition, you are capable of doing and so are "fit for work".

Sadly it's easier to sensationalise this issue instead of thinking through what "fit for work" actually means.

Stephen Hill, 53, of Duckmanton, Derbyshire, died of a heart attack in December, one month after being told he was "fit to work", even though he was waiting for major heart surgery.'

Was it actually work that caused the heart attack? If not then it's not relevant at all really. I'm fit for work but could drop dead tomorrow. Doesn't mean that my job is what caused it.

I don't mean to sound harsh, there are genuine reasons that people can't work and I don't mind that. However a lot of people are capable of working even with health issues, it's just that the jobs they can do may not be in a field they've been in for years.

[Tommo3]

The Mirror?

Seems legit.

[Aspiringlawstudent]

Oh, give it up OP.

Sometimes people die. It happens. Get over it.

Typical bloody working class whining.

[AntisthenesDogger]

(Original post by Aspiringlawstudent)
Oh, give it up OP.

Sometimes people die. It happens. Get over it.

Typical bloody working class whining.

Yep people do die.

But if the related cause is due to government schemes forcing people beyond their capabilities, then it's a problem.

Unsure what to make of this, though seems likely.

[Aspiringlawstudent]

(Original post by AntisthenesDogger)
Yep people do die.

But if the related cause is due to government schemes forcing people beyond their capabilities, then it's a problem.

Unsure what to make of this, though seems likely.

Why is it a problem?

If they're dead, at least we won't be paying for them anymore.

I've no issue with it.