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To: DEPARTMENT OF WORK AND PENSIONS

ABOLISH WORK CAPABILITY ASSESSMENTS

Please abolish Work Capability Assessments

Why is this important?

If this country is going to be economically successful then it is vital to ensure that people who need it, have a support system in place to take care of them at their greatest time of need. People do not choose to be ill or disabled, therefore it makes no sense to penalise these people, either morally or economically.

During the election campaign the Prime Minister spoke a great deal about his disabled son, who is now, very sadly no longer with us, therefore, I cannot believe that such a person adopts policies which takes vital support money away from this group of people. To any sensible economist this flies in the face of what normal conventional wisdom tells you should be done when an economy is in trouble. Having studied micro macro and global economics, I am aware that conventional wisdom, and common sense dictates that you adopt a spending policy in order to help the country to recover. After all one mans spending money is another man's wages.

Another reason this system must be abolished now is that there are more than one million appeal cases pending. The success rate of these appeals indicates that by far the majority of the people who claim these benefits are people who are in genuine need.

Finally, I think it is an absolute disgrace that the hardworking doctors, nurses and GP's are having their diagnosis and medical notes questioned in this way, which is very disrespectful and shows a lack of gratitude for the fantastic work they do, without which none of us would be here. This action represents privatisation of the Benefit system and the NHS back the back door as the result of employing a profit making American company, whose employees are paid bonuses for achieving their target figures of refusing or denying the poorest and most vulnerable people in the country access to money which they need just to fulfill their basic needs, and meet their most basic human rights of having enough money to feed themselves and any family they may have, warmth and shelter.

Therefore, for the sake of the recovery of the economy, and the poorest and most vulnerable people in the country, I would implore you to abolish this unworkable system immediately.

How it will be delivered

I will email the signatures in the first instance and then deliver them in person.

Links

Updates

2015-04-13 14:12:38 +0100

50 signatures reached

2015-04-10 17:35:42 +0100

This message is to advise people who have a laptop and a landline with a speaker phone ALWAYS USE YOUR LAPTOP VIDEO CAMERA TO RECORD ALL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE BENEFITS OFFICE in case of any problematic issues.

2015-04-07 15:31:27 +0100

25 signatures reached

2015-04-01 13:16:27 +0100

10 signatures reached

2015-03-30 20:57:49 +0100

Update - I have been doing a great deal of internet research and also have communicated with my local MP, who is disabled and the Chair of the Works and Pensions Select Committee. The Committee has published many extremely damaging Reports on Benefits and highlighting the Work Capability Assessments as an "abject failure".

My MP, assuming they are re-elected, which I am fairly confident about, has asked me to keep in touch with regard to the progress of this campaign.

I shall do more research on this subject and continue to do my best to make this Petition successful.