Count the Corpses

The DWP have contracted the French outsourcing firm Atos to conduct a "Work Capacity Assessment" regime which results in more than 50% of disability benefits claimants being told that they are "fit-for-work" and thrown off their benefits.

The WCA is notoriously inaccurate with an appalling failure rate. Tens of thousands of people a year successfully appeal the decision to strip them of their benefits in the UK courts at a cost of £50 million+ (which is borne by the taxpayer, not by Atos).

Of these thousands of severely/terminally ill people falsely declared "fit-for-work", many hundreds die within week of the decision to strip them of their disability benefits. The appalling thing is that the government do not even bother to collect data on how many people have died in these appalling circumstances.

Here's how the DWP themselves phrase it: "Data on the number of ESA claimants that have died following a fit for work decision is not available, as the Department does not hold information on a death if the person has already left benefit."

A more detailed explanation of this issue and a source for the quote can be found here: http://anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/counting-corpses-atos-wca.html