Below is a message sent to us from Winvisible who have been doing great work campaigning against welfare reforms that are causing us all so much distress. At the hearing on 29th June where mental health claimants were requesting a judicial review of the WCA as it impacts on people with mental health problems, the solicitor was able to present to the judge a letter from the Royal College of Psychiatrists supporting the claimants' call for a judicial review.
Please ask your MP to sign EDM 295 if they haven't done so already.
I know that some of us on this email list are in Harriet Harman's constituency and that she has consistently supported the WCA so if you are one of her constituents, please let her know that she doesn't represent your views on this matter.
Denise
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: WINVISIBLE <win@winvisible.org>
Date: 6 July 2012 14:58
Subject: MPs condemn work capability test! Get your MP to sign EDM 295
To: WINVISIBLE <win@winvisible.org>
Apologies for any cross-posting.
Dear friends who signed the 2011 letter to the BMJ and RCN,
MPs condemn work capability test! Get your MP to sign EDM 295 – Atos
Campaigning is having a huge impact and there is increasing condemnation of the Work Capability Assessment carried out by Atos. We have been working with John McDonnell MP to get MPs to support the movement to end the test. He has tabled an Early Day Motion which 47 MPs from England, Scotland, Wales and the North of Ireland have signed, so far – EDM and signatories below.
Check the link below to see if your MP has signed. Contact them and ask them to sign if they haven’t. Circulate to family, friends, organisations, the media. . .
This is a useful way to get more people involved. Many will be heartened that campaigning is beginning to be reflected in Parliament. We can use this EDM to widen public support and get more professionals and professional associations to follow the BMA’s example and press for an end to the hated test. Last year, over 100 organisations, doctors and nurses signed our joint Open Letter calling on the BMJ Group and RCN to stop hosting Atos at their recruiting careers fairs. This year, Atos is not listed – it looks like we succeeded though we haven’t had confirmation yet!
The EDM also mentions Dow – the multinational now responsible for the Bhopal disaster which killed more than 25,000 people, left 150,000 with chronic health problems, and continues to cause severe disabilities through water contamination -- because, like Atos, it is an Olympic sponsor which many people are objecting to. We have been involved in bringing together opposition to both Atos’ and Dow’s sponsorships.
Early Day Motion 295 – Atos
Session: 2012-13
Date tabled: 28.06.2012
Primary sponsor: McDonnell, John
List of sponsors and signatories: http://www.parliament.uk/edm/
List of sponsors and signatories: http://www.parliament.uk/edm/
That this House deplores that thousands of sick and disabled constituents are experiencing immense hardship after being deprived of benefits following a work capability assessment carried out by Atos Healthcare under a 100 million a year contract; notes that 40 per cent of appeals are successful but people wait up to six months for them to be heard; deplores that last year 1,100 claimants died while under compulsory work-related activity for benefit and that a number of those found fit for work and left without income have committed or attempted suicide; condemns the International Paralympic Committee's promotion of Atos as its top sponsor and the sponsorship of the Olympics by Dow Chemical and other corporations responsible for causing death and disability; welcomes the actions taken by disabled people, carers, bereaved relatives and organisations to end this brutality and uphold entitlement to benefits; and applauds the British Medical Association call for the work capability assessment to end immediately and to be replaced with a system that does not cause harm to some of the most vulnerable people in society.
Further information
· The BMA policy which doctors voted through, mentions that the BMA should work with disability groups and political parties to change public policy on this issue. (See http://web2.bma.org.uk/
· Opposition by doctors and MPs will influence others, helping to get medical credibility withdrawn from Atos, its testing centres and healthcare practitioners who breach professional standards and are prejudiced, and from other multinational corporations such as Serco and G4S already selected by the DWP as preferred bidders for contracts in health and disability assessment. See http://www.dwp.gov.uk/
· The EDM strengthens the legal challenge supported by the Mental Health Resistance Network, that under equality law, the Work Capability Assessment discriminates against disabled people: http://www.guardian.co.uk/
We will win against the hated Work Capability Assessment, Atos and other multinationals who profit from our pain! Get your MP to sign! Let the media know that opposition is growing!
WinVisible
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