Jim Butler-Daulby Just thought Id share this email I received from a Labour Party representative. Maybe theres hope? Good morning, ... Thank you for your email regarding Atos and the Work Capability Assessment. For help with specific cases please get in touch with your local MP. The Government’s failure to reform the Work Capability Assessment is creating a climate of fear amongst disabled people. The failures at Atos are a direct consequence of three years appalling contract management by the Government, leaving the taxpayer and vulnerable people to pick up the pieces. The Work Capability Assessment itself needs constant, considered reform. Since 2010, there have been three reviews of how to make the Work Capability Assessment work better. But ministers’ delays in enacting the needed reforms have undermined the test’s credibility. The deeper problem is the Government’s back to work system, which is comprehensively failing disabled people in Britain. Labour has called on the Government to sack Atos from the Work Capability Assessment contract, and to reform the WCA so it works properly and fairly. Labour believes the principle of assessments is right, but Atos is getting too many wrong, which is why Labour would reform them to ensure disabled people are given the support they need. Labour is looking closely at how we can ensure the social security system is better equipped to address the needs of disabled people. We have established a Disability Taskforce to recommend changes to social security to maximise disabled peoples’ control over their own lives and break the link between disability and poverty. We would reform assessments so that they empower disabled people: identifying the help they need to gain economic well-being and live independently, and then support them to achieve it. Instead of the labyrinth of dysfunctional tests, we would introduce a ‘tell us once’ principle: sharing information to prevent the endless repetition of questions that blights the current system. And we will abolish David Cameron’s cruel and unfair Bedroom Tax, which is forcing 400,000 disabled people to pay more while he gives a tax cut to people on incomes over £150,000. In the meantime, we will continue to put pressure on the Government to come clean about the effects of their policies on disabled people, and push them to ensure the social security system works for all. You can play a part in shaping our policy programme through Your Britain, Labour’s online home of ideas and policy development. If you’d like to let us know what you think the next Labour government should do to reform social security for disabled people, please submit your ideas to our Work and Business Policy Commission. With kind regards, On behalf of the Labour Party Sent by email from the Labour Party, promoted by Iain McNicol on behalf of The Labour Party, both at One Brewers Green, London SW1H 0RH. Website: labour.org.uk to join or renew call 0845 0922299.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 08:58:35 +0000