Fit For Death

The government have finally released the figures relating to the thousands of people who've died after being found 'fit for work'. This, of course, is in the same week that Iain Duncan Smith said that he wants to kick even more disabled people off ESA. (Not enough people dying penniless?)

As for very ill people being found fit for work, I couldn't help but notice that the government were kind-of telling the story through their (now withdrawn) case study leaflets.

Welfare Weekly unearthed the tale of a fictional ESA claimant called Zac.

Photo credit: DWP via Welfare Weekly

We get it. He's on ESA and he's ill enough to require hospital care.

Later in the week The Guardian found the same stock photo man in a different leaflet; this one promoting JSA sanctions.

Photo credit: DWP via Guardian

So I guess the story the DWP is trying to tell is that Zac originally claimed ESA, but then he was found fit for work and turfed onto JSA? Presumably his illness was why he didn't participate in Mandatory Work Activity or apply for a job.

Given the extremely high number of people who've died after being found fit for work - and the fact that the DWP like to make case study leaflets for "illustrative purposes only" - I'm guessing that somewhere in the DWP office there's another leaflet featuring Zac to explain what happens to ill people when they're found fit for work. And I'm assuming it looks a lot like this:

Photo credit: Template and Zac's photo by DWP, text by me

Of course; they don't need the fictional Zac to tell the story of what happens when they could hand out leaflets telling the real story of people who died fit for work. Like Moira Drury or Linda Wootton.

DWP employees: aspiring Harold Shipmans! pic.twitter.com/naqAgZNcRt

— Sheila Scoular (@sheilascoular) August 27, 2015

.@George_Osborne plans another £25 billion in cuts, and wants to take around half of it from welfare

So I'd like to introduce Mr Osborne to few people:

Shaun Pilkington shot himself after his Employment and Support Allowance was stopped.

Tim Salter hanged himself after his benefits were stopped.

Victor Cuff also hanged himself after his sickness benefits were stopped.

Visually and mobility impaired Jacqueline Harris took an overdose in November after she failed the Work Capability Assessment in which she was only asked one question.

David Barr, who had mental health problems, took his life after his benefits were stopped. Posthumously the DWP admitted they were wrong and reinstated his award. Bit late...

There was the well-known case of Stephanie Bottrill who was unable to work due to Myasthenia gravis, and walked in front of a lorry because she couldn't afford the bedroom tax.

Nicholas Barker had been a farmer and was left hemiplegic after a stroke. He shot himself after his benefits were stopped.

Peter Hodgson was left unable to work after a brain haemorrhage and a stroke. He killed himself too.

Martin Rust was schizophrenic. His health had been improving until the DWP found him Fit For Work. The stress resulted in his suicide.

Craig Monk was an amputee with a history of depression and had taken overdoses in the past. He thought his benefits had been stopped and hanged himself.

Elaine Christian was so terrified of her Work Capability Assessment that the day before she slashed her wrists and took an overdose of co-codamol before drowning herself in a drain.

Paul Willcoxson was actually a JobSeeker, not someone claiming sickness benefits. He did, however, have a history of depression. He was so scared knowing benefit cuts were on the horizon that he killed himself.

Richard Sanderson was likewise a JobSeeker. He killed himself after his housing benefit was cut.

These are just the suicides, and these are just the people who've killed themselves due to benefit cuts since the coalition came to power. There were also the deaths of Paul Reekie and Leanne Chambers who killed themselves shortly before the coalition decided to expand on Labour's benefit cuts.

Then there were the people with conditions exacerbated by stress who died of natural causes because of the stress of benefit cuts.

Karen Sherlock had to spend the last months of her life using energy she didn't have fighting for the benefits she was entitled to. She was finally awarded them a few days before her heart gave out.

David Groves died of a massive heart attack the night before his Work Capability Assessment.

Brian McArdle had had several strokes. Despite this leaving him visually and mobility impaired; he was found Fit For Work. He collapsed in the street and died from a heart attack the next day.

Colin Traynor had epilepsy. He had a fatal seizure shortly after being found Fit For Work. His parents believe it was the stress that triggered the fatal seizure.

How much longer does Osborne want this list to be?