The Guardian recants, but the story has legs

I haven't had a response to my email to the Guardian but looking for stories on Work Capability Assessment appeals I found this correction:

In a story yesterday headed Three-quarters of incapacity benefit claimants are fit to work, says DWP, the headline and opening paragraph over-compressed findings issued by the Department for Work and Pensions....

It goes on to cite the actual figures. Interestingly it also says

Its section on appeals notes that of people found fit for work after making a claim for ESA between October 2008 and August 2009, 33% have had an appeal heard to date; of these, the original fit-to-work decision was "confirmed for 60%"; by implication 40% of fitness rulings were not upheld (27 October, page 12).

This is interesting - I overlooked it. So of the 39% found fit to work, a third appeal and 40% of those are overturned. So the number of people undergoing the WCA actually being judged fit to work is 33.8%. About a third. That's quite different from 78%! It would be interesting to see why people didn't appeal. Did they accept the decision, or did they not have the nous and resources to appeal it?

Meanwhile the Daily Mail (ever ready to outrage) reported this bogus story as:

75% of incapacity claimants fit to work: Benefits test weeds out workshy. The Sun also ran with it. The French Tribune managed the greatest distortion by claiming the figure was almost 90%! I didn't find any major daily newspaper who accurately reported the figures.

Stories of seriously ill people getting judged fit to work by the WCA:

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10945510
• http://www.ght.org.uk/news/article/39043/28/10/2010/Failed_Work_Capability_Assessments

A record of Wednesday's debate on Work Capability Assessments, Westminster Hall debates, 27 October 2010.

It is apparent that the appeal success rate various enormously from place to place - one MP saying that is was 95% from one advocate in his constituency - depending on what I wonder? We just don't know enough about what is going on when people are judged fit for work. How many of them are getting jobs?

Cancer patient faces tests on fitness to work

"As Citizens Advice Scotland disclosed 70% of its appeals against "fit to work" judgments are successful, Stefan Morkis talked to one man who must constantly prove he is too unwell to work."

Story from The Courier.
Seen on Mind In Flux.

I wonder how representative this is? We still do not know what proportion appeal. Nor how many people's appeals succeed. To ask the DWP ministers about this, email: ministers@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Danny Alexander's comments on the ESA and WCA

"The fact is that the process isn’t working and that genuinely vulnerable people are being denied money as a result." - Telegraph 26 May 2010.

So Danny... WHAT'S CHANGED?????????????????????????????????????????????

My letter to Danny:

Do you still stand behind your words printed in the Telegraph on 26 May 2010, regarding the Employment Support Allowance and the Work Capability Assessment?

"The fact is that the process isn’t working and that genuinely vulnerable people are being denied money as a result."

Would you have any comment on this YouTube video (6 mins): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PBKrsOEV8g

I look forward to your response.

Matt

Why don't we all write to Mr Alexander about this?

Bendy Girl Strikes Back!

This is brilliant! If you read the headlines about 3/4 of incapacity benefit claimants being judged fit for work then take 6 minutes out to watch this!

First seen on the Bendy Girl's blog: Benefit Scrounging Scum.

Please go to the blog and give BendyGirl your support!

I'm really struck by this - the measured tone, the background research and the referencing of Danny Alexander's previous opposition to the current scheme.

What ever happened to those 36% of people who dropped out of the WCA? Why doesn't the DWP know?

Being on Benefits

I think with all the trauma of the impending cuts and worry about Work Capability Assessment (WCA) that it's easy to lose sight of the non-financial welfare. For instance I receive free dental care, free health care, free prescriptions, and what I need at the moment free eyes test and a contribution towards new glasses. So far no one has talked about taking away these benefits.

I'm no longer obese!

As of today my BMI is 29.6. Which means I am merely over-weight rather than obese! I never thought I'd be so pleased to say I'm fat! The diet has been hell, and I have some months to go on reduced rations. But it does make such a difference.

Letter to the General Medical Council

To Whom It May Concern

Yesterday the media were repeating claims (inaccurate as it turns out) that fully 78% of people on incapacity benefits were in fact fit to work. In fact the situation is more complex than that and the headlines were a distortion of a government press release.

But consider the implication. It is UK doctors, both GPs and DWP doctors, who are the gate keepers to incapacity benefit. I'm ill, my GP says so, my specialists agree, and the DWP doctor also agrees. And the headlines are saying that 4 out of 5 times they are wrong. The government are saying that UK doctors are incompetent and themselves unfit to judge whether a person is ill enough to need time off work.

Doctors are being undermined as much as the sick in this campaign. I wondered what the medical council thinks about this. The stories of seriously ill people being judged fit to work by the WCA are mounting up. If I am judged fit for work, which I fully expect to be despite both mental and physical health problems, then should I sue my GP practice? After all the government would effectively be telling me that my doctors are incompetent.

I look forward to your reply
Matt Black