DPAC, Black Triangle & WOW Petition Joint Statement on the Bizarre ATOS Exit Strategy Several years

of campaigning have paid off in making more and more people realise that ATOS, the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and epartment for Work and !ensions ( W!) policies imposed by the Con ems are completely to"ic, inh#man and abhorrent$ !AC have been leading campaigns against ATOS, the WCA and W! since %&'& incl#ding( visits to Trinton S)#are (shiny head)#arters of ATOS), *ith o#r local !AC gro#ps repeatedly protesting o#tside their local
assessment centres and feeding in to the day of protest on the '+ th of ,ebr#ary$ !AC also fed into the channel - program ispatches( ./ritain on the Sick0

*hich revealed the horrendo#s system of getting as many people removed from s#pport as possible, has e"posed the devastation and misery and led the highly s#ccessf#l ATOS games in %&'% *hich sa* ATOS shares drop in val#e and an increase in media attention against them$ !AC have occ#pied Ca"ton 1o#se (home of the W!) and gathered o#tside the entrance of the W! on many occasions, most recently in the 2 days of action .3eclaiming o#r ,#t#res0$ O#r sister gro#p /lack Triangle have fo#ght tirelessly *ith #s$ /lack Triangle has *orked *ith #s for over 4 years 5ghting and e"posing contin#o#s *rong doing and *orking on p#blicising reg#lations that can be #sed by 6!s to prevent f#rther harm to tho#sands of disabled people #nder the WCA regime$ O#r allies at WOW have s#ccessf#lly raised the iss#e of a c#m#lative impact assessment, abolishing the WCA *ith the Wo* petition, and sec#red a debate in !arliament on ,ebr#ary %2th$ This month also sa* a 78 *ide protest o#tside local ATOS centres organised by local gro#ps$ We0ve all been clear that it is the WCA itself that needs to be scrapped immediately$ The bi9arre e"it strategy ATOS have developed in identifying apparent physical threats on ,acebook despite the gro*ing lists of real deaths

ca#sed by the WCA regime is an o#trageo#s ins#lt to all those that have died and all those that have lost family members thro#gh this regime$ :t is an ins#lt to those left *itho#t their homes, *itho#t money and needing to go to foodbanks$ :t is an ins#lt to every person *ho has s#ffered *orsening physical and mental health thro#gh this inh#man regime$ ATOS attempting to p#ll o#t of its contact represents only a partial victory$ The alphabet corporations (6-S, A-;, S;3CO, CA!:TA) are already lining #p to take over the m#lti<million pro5ts and the mantle of the ne* 6rim 3eapers$ The misery imposed by this 6overnment and the W! *ill contin#e as long as its heino#s policies contin#e$ 6oodbye to ATOS <b#t the WCA m#st also end$ The reign of terror by this #nelected Coalition 6overnment *hich has a*arded itself pay rises, c#t ta"es for those earning over ='>&,&&& *hile piling p#nishment, poverty, misery and premat#re death on everyone else in its policies of rich against poor m#st end$ ?ake no mistake< We *ill contin#e to demonstrate against ATOS, no* delivering the complete fail#re of !:! in *hich claims are being delayed by #p to a year$ We *ill demonstrate against any other company that takes over the WCA contract$ We *ill contin#e to demand the immediate removal of the WCA, and the removal of this 6overnment$ DPAC, Black Triangle and WOW demand 1. That the WCA !e ended "ith immediate e#ect to !e re$laced "ith a rigoro%& and &a'e &y&tem that doe& not ca%&e a(oida!le harm to di&a!led $eo$le, tho&e "ith chronic health i&&%e&, terminal illne&&e& or long term health i&&%e&) *t i& the WCA + the a&&e&&ment it&el' + that i& '%ndamentally ,a"ed and m%&t end no" a& called 'or !y the Briti&h -edical A&&ociation .B-A/, the 0oyal College o' 1%r&ing and the 234,567 $eo$le "ho &igned the WOW Petition) 2. That the 89 :o(ernment at We&tmin&ter and the o$$o&ition 'ollo" the Scotti&h :o(ernment;& $ledge that $ri(ate 'or+$ro<t com$anie& are remo(ed entirely 'rom ha(ing anything to do "ith the a&&e&&ment o' di&a!led $eo$le) Thi& area o' $%!lic $olicy !elong& <rmly "ithin the 1=S and the $%!lic &ector)

3. That all &%$$ort and commend the initiati(e !eing led !y Black Triangle in %nion "ith DPAC and WOW to "ork

together "ith the B-A to en&%re that :P& are a!le to ,ag %$ a &%!&tantial ri&k o' harm to di&a!led $eo$le, tho&e "ith chronic health i&&%e&, terminal illne&&e& or long term health i&&%e& at the (ery o%t&et o' the WCA $roce&&) The com$lete lack o' any &%ch mechani&m to a&&e&& and ,ag %$ com$lex ri&k %nder the c%rrent regime ha& gi(en ri&e to co%ntle&& tragedie& "hich co%ld there!y ha(e !een a(oided) 4. That the P*P contract !e remo(ed 'rom ATOS "ith immediate e#ect+they ha(e &ho"n error& !eyond incom$etence a#ecting tho%&and& o' di&a!led $eo$le, leading to "ait& o' %$ to a year and lea(ing $eo$le "itho%t income or 'ood We0ll celebrate Atos0 realisation that the WCA contract has al*ays been poisono#s, b#t *e *on0t rest or stay )#iet$ Atos0 absence from the WCA regime *ill not allo* #s forget the evil *e have end#red( S%icide& .Ato&, the Coalition and DWP all &hare re&$on&i!ility/ ,ear of 5tness to *ork tests driving disabled patients to s#icide, say @A of 6!s The tragedy of Alice, 1o* the Work Capability Assessment costs lives ,ormer bodyb#ilder from Willington *ho can barely *alk contemplated s#icide after n#rse r#led him 5t to *ork /ene5ts *ithdra*al led to man0s s#icide /ene5ts ro* dad takes his o*n life and is fo#nd dead in his Bat by his 5ancee Sneinton man overdoses after bene5ts stopped 1eartbroken dad reveals agony as decision to a"e his sonCs bene5ts is overt#rned$$ *eeks after his boy killed himself /ene5t C#ts Ca#sed isabled Dorkshire ?an Eicholas /arker To Take 1is Fife, 3#les Coroner /ack problems led to fatal dose /ene5ts man fo#nd hanged, in)#est heard A#thorCs s#icide Cd#e to slash in bene5tsC Woman *ho dro*ned in drain *as #pset abo#t health check

Eor*ich man killed himself .over back<to<*ork fears0 :n)#est hears of C#mbrian dadCs health bene5ts *orries ,ears over bene5ts led to tragedy /ene5ts *ithdra*al led to man0s s#icide 7nemployed 6ravesend man hanged himself after sickness bene5ts *ere c#t 6randfather Sha#n !ilkington ,o#nd ead After 3eceiving Fetter Saying /ene5ts Will /e Stopped isabled 8inver man killed himself after being left Galmost destit#teG *hen his state bene5ts *ere a"ed /ristol *oman Ckilled herself after bene5ts *ere stoppedC

The Deci&ion& Hohn ?c onnell ?! speaking #p for Atos 1ealthcare victims //C So#th ;ast Today '4th ecember %&'4 on the WCA

Cancer killed my h#sband, b#t Atos took his dignity a long time before his death :slington Co#ncil passes vote of no con5dence in disabled assessing company Atos 6rieving son blasts bene5t c#ts( ?y dad looked like a concentration camp prisoner before he died Amy Hones, Woman With Cerebral !alsy, 6iven !rognosis /y ATOS That 1er isability C;"pected To :mproveC Atos 5t<to<*ork assessments branded CfarcicalC as nearly half of people *ith progressive diseases like !arkinsonCs told theyCll 3;COI;3 isabled bene5ts claimants test( Atos reports fo#nd C#nacceptably poorC Atos assessors told to keep disability bene5t approvals lo*, 5lm s#ggests Finda Wootton( o#ble heart and l#ng transplant dies nine days after she has bene5ts stopped

/lind in one eye, partially deaf and facing maJor spinal s#rgery b#t Thalidomide mother is ST:FF fo#nd 5t to *ork Atos scandal( ?an fo#nd 5t to *ork despite peeling bones This br#tal ne* systemC( a 6!Cs take on Atos and *ork capability assessments Atos told incontinent *oman to .*ear nappy0 6et ready for *ork( *hat *oman *ho needs constant care *as told

The a$$eal rate + c43> "itho%t &%$$ort, %$ to 53> "hen claimant &%$$orted !y trained ad(ocate .CAB/) http(KK***$cas$org$#kKsystemK5lesKp#blicationsK7n5t<for<!#rpose$pdf

?%oting the target& 'rom the trainer in the di&$atche& &ho" @ A%&t 2B> ex$ected to kee$ ESA Atos Secret ,ilming < ;"cerpt from Channel /ritain on the Sick ispatches programme

Ato& ha(e CB!n $o%nd& in $%!lic contract&, yet $ay no tax here) Atos and 6-S pay no corporation ta" despite pro5ting from billions po#nds *orth of p#blic sector contracts, as a#ditors *arn of .crisis of con5dence0 over private contractors

Whi&tle!lo"er& :reg Wood Claimants CtrickedC o#t of bene5ts, says Hobcentre *histleblo*er Whistleblo*er former Atos doctor talks to //C Ee*s (?ay %&'4)

Joyce Dr%mmond ATOS assessor Cforced to J#dge disabled 5t for *orkC

The com$lete 'ail%re aro%nd $eo$le $re&enting "ith -= Diagno&i&) Work a&&e&&ment& %n'air on mentally ill, &ay& co%rt

1o* are those *ith mental health problems treated by AtosL Why can0t *e 5nd o#t more abo#t Atos mental f#nction championsL

-an ha(ing heart attack d%ring a&&e&&ment and getting marked a& "alking o%t

Sick bene5ts claimant has 1;A3T ATTAC8 d#ring Hobcentre test < and 6overnment a"e his payments

Claimant in "heelchair le't %$&tair& in <re drill Di&a!led man a!andoned on the &econd ,oor o' !%ilding d%ring Ato& <re alarm e(ac%ation

Claimant& le't o%t in the cold

isabled and ill left in cold after Atos bl#nder <

erbyshire Times

Police called on Wel'are Ad(i&or& Police called a'ter "el'are ex$ert& o#er ad(ice to di&a!led ahead o' Ato& &ickne&& !ene<t a&&e&&ment&

Ato& claimed to !e "orking "ith gro%$& they "eren;t) and Atos boss acc#sed of Cliving in a parallel #niverseC after claiming hated bene5ts assessor is pop#lar *ith p#blic < ?irror Online :ood!ye ATOS+WeDll !e !ackE) <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< This statement is also s#pported in Solidarity by( :ncl#sion Fondon !atCs !etition Fabo#r calls for #rgent investigation over .misleading0 Atos bid information