Saturday, 21 September 2013
Labour announce plans to sack Atos and more....
Oh thank goodness!! I'm RUBBISH at keeping secrets!
In this Guardian article, http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/sep/21/labour-disability-hate-crime-atos Labour have leaked tomorrow's concrete announcements on disability. They say that they will :
A) Sack Atos
B) Strengthen the law on Disability Hate Crime
C) Develop a "tell us once" assessment system for social care, benefits and work support that rolls all help into one place.
But there's more. MUCH more. Watch conference tomorrow for a much fuller proposal on what Labour have concluded the problems are with sickness and disability support and in the near future, for more proposals on how to change things.
These "tasters" are to prove they're serious. To show that whilst there is still much, much more work to do, there are things they can announce TODAY that show they've listened and are starting to understand.
Of course we will be cynical. Of course we will doubt their real intentions. We would be fools to do anything else.
But the distance traveled from the dark days of 2010 is remarkable.
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Now they've just got to get in ... right?
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking the same thing. Fingers crossed, eh?
DeleteI think that if everyone with a family member with a disability, everyone on low pay, everyone who struggles with child care to allow them to stay in work, everyone 'cured' by Atos and everyone hit by the bedroom tax (and their families) vote for them...they have a good chance of getting up there. :-)
Deletehttp://pawprintsofthesoul.wordpress.com/2013/09/17/letter-to-raquel-rolnik-un-special-housing-rapporteur/.
Delete...wasn't sure where to put this link so I've bunged it here!
Feel free to move it elsewhere Sue, if you feel the need to do so.
Hugs and stuff,
Phil B.
Hallelujah! Now we just need hope that a)they get in and b)They're good for their word! :)
ReplyDeleteBest news that I have heard for a long time - so hope they are able to fulfil promises - I left the Labour Party a long time ago when Blair and his cronnies took over. It would be good if we could have a government who think about everyone including those less advantaged for whatever reason. I will listen with interest, but it has to be more then window dressing to get themselves elected and not at the expenses of pensioners which I hear may be the case.
ReplyDeleteI dunno. I'm still deeply skeptical of pre-election promises.
ReplyDeleteJust hoping this is not de ja vous all over again given the "promise" of an incoming Labour government being so looked forward to by my fellow social work students in 1993-6 and my thinking about the turkeys voting for Christmas once we all saw what that translated to in reality.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to burst anyone's bubble , but it was Labour who gave ATOS the £500 million pound contract to kick the crap out of the sick and disabled in the first place . It was Labour who came up with WCA , it was Labour who introduced the bedroom tax(2008 for private rental) and it was Labour who bailed out the banks rather than protecting the worse off in society . Don't believe it , the intention maybe there , but this is electioneering , plain and simple . I hope I'm wrong , but doubt it .
ReplyDeleteI do actually agree with most of what you say, although the LHA didn't actually kick in while you were living in a property. It only applied to new tenants who could find out if it would cover the rent or not. At least we had a choice whether we took the property or if it was too expensive. I also felt that they should have loaned the banks the money, to be paid back with interest.
DeletePervybear: the LHA assessment took an average of 6 months, the property went within the week. That's not choice, that's 'take it or leave it, if you don't want it, thousands do'
DeleteDon't forget, in order to achieve the rates of LHA compared to actual rents, cardboard box rental needs to be included.
If they do get into government, let's hope they are equally as fast at implementing their promises as the Tories were. I hope Ed is prepared to use plenty of financial privilege to reverse these disasters.
ReplyDeleteJust look at Ed's background. His political nouse is light years ahead of Flashman and his bullies
DeletePraise the Lard!
ReplyDeleteIf my body would obliged I'd have done a little happy dance just.
ReplyDeleteMine too Becca - at least the thought is there :)
DeleteLabour bought in a pilot scheme of Atos it was the Tories that ran so aggressively with it.Ihappen to believe Ed will do this...he did state some time ago he would make the medicals fair...
ReplyDeleteSadly, "TELL US ONCE" sounds like spin-speak for "UNIVERSAL CREDIT".
ReplyDeletePlus ca change...
It shouldn't as various benefits fall outside of what UC is suppose to deal with and even internal benefits to UC still have their own qualifications.
DeleteWhat the "Tell Us Once" centre can do is create an individualised key for people with disabilities to use to unlock certain benefits and support if they qualify for them. Each key would open some locks but not others as appropriate. Also as long as this TUO process isn't attached to receiving monies/support (basically has no interest in gatekeeping) then it can operate as an impartial umpire. Its a different relationship to someone dealing with DWP/ATOS currently.
There will still be additional information required for different benefits/support but that should be supplementary. It should reduce the burden/costs of administration, particularly for GPs.
There will still be issues around accessing benefits/support and the descriptors for that. That's still a contentious space. But TUO should reduce the burden on disabled people in terms of discussing their limitations.
.
Who the fuck gave you the right to be privy to this information? It's bad enough the Spartacus lot have be the chosen lapdog of Meacher, but many of us disabled people don't want Spartacus speaking for us.
ReplyDeleteThe pompousness is astounding. If you are involved with Labour and coming up with ideas then you have to have a mandate from disabled people to do so. You do not and have the right to represent people. Until the majority of disabled people agree you have that right you are abusing your position.
Wow! Some turkeys really *do* vote for Christmas!
DeleteI think it's called the Stockholm Syndrome.
If you find Sue and Spartacus so offensive and not your choice for speaking for the disabled then fook off and go to another of the blogs that you like to send your venom to!
DeleteI for one am sick and tired of seeing your name and your vicious posts on here!
If you find Sue and Spartacus so offensive and not your choice for speaking for the disabled then fook off and go to another of the blogs that you like to send your venom to!
DeleteI for one am sick and tired of seeing your name and your vicious posts on here!
ah tony blair thaychers child who taken labour so far right that it was just another tory party are they going to change I dearly hope so im afraid that seeing so many die at this atos dwp pact that now im very sceptical has of this treatment of anyone on benefits are they who done these deeds being brought to justice im afraid the only justicewe get is at tribunals some, but its words not deeds be aware of those who promise much but give nowt yes we see theres no one else to put that tick by just hope that they now realise theres 99precent who are poor and could stop them once again ,but telling and doing is another thing god help us if it turns sour has there wont be many left jeff3
ReplyDeleteI would be happy if they did some of those things even if they don't do it all. Hell, sack ATOS and the vote is theirs.
ReplyDeleteIf i had made that statement about atos getting dismissed we would be able to celebrate well into the night
ReplyDeletewhat we have to ask ourselves is does ed have the integrity to pursue this
Firstly it creates a very severe dividing line at the next election between rich and poor the Tory haves and the labour have nots
secondly how does ed seek justice for all the families that have died in going through the welfare reform bill in which will take years to find out as to who has died and under what circumstance's
who were the ringleaders in the causing the premature deaths to so many people who was responsible for giving the DWP instructions to kill many sick and disabled people through gross criminal negligence
The main culprits Gordon Brown /IDS/David Freud, Baron Freud/David Cameron are the main ringleaders along with the
Mark Hoban MP
Minister of State for Employment
Steve Webb MP
Minister of State for Pensions
Esther McVey MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Disabled People
and from the DWP
Robert Devereux
Permanent Secretary
Andy Nelson
IT Director General and Chief Information Officer
Sue OwenDirector General, Strategy
Gill AitkenDirector General, Professional Services
Chris LastDirector General, Human Resources and Head of Government HR Operations
Noel ShanahanDirector General, Operations
Mike Driver Director General, Finance
These named above will all go down in UK history as killers of the sick and disabled names like Hitler that will never be forgotten
we must all learn from history that their are sum individuals in life that are just for what ever reason are just born to kill
in all probability we could be looking at 20 years as to what had gone wrong with the welfare reform bill' who was responsible who failed to see the problems arising and who failed to take the correct action to stop these deaths
But rest assured that over time those that did bring death to the many hundreds of sick and disabled will stand trial just as those in Germany are now doing for crimes against humanity during the second world war
ReplyDeleteIN REMEMBRANCE OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE DIED THROUGH WELFARE REFORM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LmTI3NETGGs
It's no good sacking ATOS, if Labour are just looking to replace them with another private company to do the same job. I apologise if they have, but from what I've seen today it's more weasel words. Byrne talking about helping disabled people "reach their potential". So more of forcing them into work no matter what by the sounds of it. Most disabled people want an income, secure in the knowledge they won't be harassed by the government, and then to be left alone to cope with their ailments in the best way they see fit.
ReplyDeleteThose disabled people then shock, horror, spend their income in businesses, which stimulates the economy, due to the increase in demand more jobs become available for the millions of able bodied people who are currently looking for work, those people start to be hired and the tax take increases and simultaneously benefits reduce, and that will lead to the deficit coming down, this is basic economic sense.
There is no excuse for the continuing nonsense other than corporate welfare, this is cronyism of the worst kind, it's no good making a song and dance about sacking one company, then hiring another set of parasites to come in looking for their handout. Labour has to stop pandering to corporate interests, this whole process is just going to continue if they don't. It's like Bakunin said 'When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called "the People's Stick."
Atos are just the veener in all this….a private company who are in it for the money.
ReplyDeleteIt is the government and their henchmen DWP who are the villains in the piece.
There is NO need for Atos or any company like it!
The GP/Medical professional makes a decision on fitness to work and that should be the end of it and then all that taxpayers money spent on the sham contract with Atos would not be wasted!
Yes, ATOS are very useful for the DWP to blame shift onto. The DWP are responsible for the decisions and when they declare someone FFW and tht person then dies, they should face prosecution and have to explain their decision in a court of law.
DeleteATOS are following guidelines from whom exactly? The DWP? That's where the changes need to come.
i'm hopeful and am allowing myself a break in my usual mixture of dealing with pain and anxiety about being ill, compounded by that haunting spectre of Duncan Smith! I will always have in my mind that new labour allowed ATOS to 'get their foot in the door' in the first place, they should feel ashamed that they ever gave the contract to this organisation. I am uncertain about the integrity of some of labour's potential ministers. It scares me to imagine that the tories might get any opportunity after the next election to further attack all of the vulnerable sick, disabled and unemployed generally. I can't imagine what they could do! Let's hope a labour government would remember what it stands for and its roots and successes.
ReplyDeleteExcept... This. UNUM are going to be at the conference.
ReplyDelete"Only days after Ed Miliband announced a Labour government would sack Atos, the party’s conference is hosting an event part-funded by the architects of the ‘work capability assessment’ administered by that company – the criminal American insurance giant Unum."
http://mikesivier.wordpress.com/2013/09/22/heres-why-labour-needs-to-go-a-lot-further-to-win-back-our-trust/
Beaten to the punch :D
DeleteIt will be another WCA designed again by Unum and serviced by people that might as well be ATOS. The more that things change...
"Only days after Ed Miliband announced a Labour government would sack Atos, the party’s conference is hosting an event part-funded by the architects of the ‘work capability assessment’ administered by that company – the criminal American insurance giant Unum."
ReplyDeleteRead more...
http://mikesivier.wordpress.com/2013/09/22/heres-why-labour-needs-to-go-a-lot-further-to-win-back-our-trust/
"How ATOS is taking over the NHS by stealth - under a different name"
ReplyDeletehttp://tompride.co.uk/how-atos-is-taking-over-the-nhs-by-stealth-under-a-different-name
It means nothing. I am not a leftie or rightie or anything elseie, I am just a disabled person scared anxious and terrified of all these changes and rhetoric. NONE of it is policy, and even if it was, it wouldnt happen. Labour bought atos in, to say they will get rid of them IF they get voted in is hypocracy. Its not that we need, its not vote catching gimmicks or spin its a new way of looking at governing this country from the ground up and cutting MP wages would be a good start. to get rid of the career politicians and only have MPS who truly believe what they say. Its a start, but it means nothing. How about an apology to all those who have died due to ATOS slash and burn rules on behlaf or this and the previous government... and then compensation for the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteIf dear Eddie and his labourites are serious about 'strengthening laws on disability hate crime', will he be arresting Ian Duncan Smith for his positive discrimination against anyone with a disabililty and hanging him in Tower-Hill in due course?
ReplyDeletesue you looked glamorous yesterday however you didn't mention all of those that have died at the hands of ATOS and the DWP nor did liam
ReplyDeleteyou need to spell it out loud and clear if the public at large are to take note otherwise you will leave them in the dark and clueless
On Miliband's conference speech http://theoccasionalpigeon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/tories-warn-britain-on-verge-of.html
ReplyDeleteHaving now digested Ed’s speech at the conference what does it mean I hear some of you say. Well my speciality is in interpreting not only policy but the meaning of which direction in which Ed would take us
ReplyDeleteThe meaning of his praise the race to the top is not applicable in the UK as the population is to large and to unskilled to start with so where Ed was going with this analogy will have to remain a mystery with Ed
It was a good speech however that would have gone down well and been well excepted throughout the Caribbean or indeed any small country with a small population needing a positive push or indeed a country like Switzerland with a majority skilled workforce
David Cameron's vision on the other hand the race to the bottom is clear and is working well for him 3 years in. And that's to get rid of vast amounts of waste and those who are wasteful to cut right back on benefits the NHS to make life as difficult as hell for all those in need so that the die much quicker than under previous conservative governments
David Cameron’s main aim is to shrink the state to such a level that millions will disappear either in their premature death like the sick and disabled and the jobless to just move abroad of those that are left the average worker well they will end up working in conditions like in Bangladesh the return of slavery
David Cameron is doing very well with his plans so far with the vast majority of their support not interested in most other government policy's they will just be happy to continue the course he is on as it good for businesses
As for Ed a good speech but as I said above not that really applicable for a small country so heavily over populated like the UK and in fairness to Ed he probably means well but as for pulling anything off of benefit to the average person in the UK it's most unlikely to happen
Getting rid of ATOS is a plus point but overall the sick and disabled under Ed will be only marginally better off than of now and for me having digested Ed speech none of what he said is really applicable to the UK
As i have stated above and in my interpretation with regret Ed will fail as for his policy's overall to work he would need genuine decent respectable businesses in operation throughout the UK of which there are only a few and a skilled and motivated workforce along with a public that could rise to the occasion and to think outwards instead of inwards (thinking of others and not themselves) These are the three key ingredients that this country would need for Ed to make any headway with his premiership if he were elected
Regretfully the UK falls down on all of these three key ingredients so there is no way that the UK would be better off overall under labour
the sick and disabled no doubt would find some respite and for this group of people then yes labour would be much preferable to David Cameron but as for Ed's Briton can do better that has never been possible over the past 70 years and I cant for the life of me see that changing in 2015
The UK's history is one of slavery with the majority of businesses out to do as little as possible for it's workforce that just in itself is bad enough but then when you add in a majority of the people with a selfish disposition as a country your going to end up just going round and round in circles like the past seventy years which is high living costs/fuel/housing/food etc so as for Ed's race to the top' as i say he means well and it sounds wonderful but in reality it's just words and as a good friend has always said talks cheep
And on that basis I'm out
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