View from Wigan

Please note, my advice to  claimants whose rights have been denied;   do NOT accept  Department of Works and Pensions (DWP)  refusing to register or just closing your claim as you cannot deal with their physical “face to face” interrogation.

You have a right to PBA –    PAPER-BASED ASSESSMENT  –  additionally,  under Human Rights, you have a right to communicate by any means that is not harmful to you…

Since Nov 2017, 164,000 people NOW have rights based on a court ruling, which further extends to anyone else whether you have an anxiety disorder, heart problems, serious allergies etc in as much as you have problems dealing with DWP including PBA as per below  (but  I doubt rights will last for long as DWP rules are ever changing to suit themselves and specialise in ignoring  or conning people out of their rights).

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/19/esther-mcvey-makes-disability-benefits-u-turn-over-payments

Please see  DWP  “blood on their hands ” section detailing mistreatment and deaths of people attributed to government policies and DWP conduct etc.

DWP are guilty of generally either cheating claimants of all monies or sanctioning them and leaving people penniless, with many dying miserable deaths as a result of government policies.   DWP assessors have no concern about adding to the stress of claimants with heart problems;   this is still on-going, with deaths or suicides on public record as recent as April 2018 etc.

Review DWP policies and conduct and it soon becomes clear – these are specifically designed to bully, sanction and deny benefits, and try and get claimant to work free in commercial organisations ie. (taxpayer boosting their profits).

A £5bn (billion) work program was launched in 2011, this has done nothing but harm people and statistically on gaining employment worse than doing nothing (this is confirmed by parliament’s, own committee reviews).

Despite overwhelming evidence, DWP has been still allowed to continued to cheat and hassle people, a boss of one of DWP many crony organisation on public record was even found to be helped themselves to an £11m salary and ‘benefits’ in one year –   while advocating DWP sanction claimants of their £70 pw for months to years at a time !   Official figures only 18,270 people out of 785,000 people enrolled on the DWP Work Programme actually got jobs that lasted longer than 6 months after the FREE slave-labour unpaid shelf stacking stunt.

Thanks is owed to the Freedom of Information (FOI) website, that allows people to find out what is going on and to all those who are working tirelessly to fight the wrongs of government and it’s EVIL empire of civil servants. Which has helped people like me, feel not so isolated and alone in this.

UK Welfare Reform Deaths ~ Updated List ~ October 21st 2014

Note despite, people do have legal rights – there has been little justice for claimants – there is no legal aid, no access to a solicitor. The first tier tribunal only has the power to acknowledge that legislation is ‘incompatible’ with the Human Rights Act, but no power to instruct the Government to amend social security legislation or enforce justice – which in my case the tribunal totally ignored Human Rights Act, H&S at Work, Equality Act etc.   Care Act 2014 the list goes on…. and as I later found out; you cannot appeal to the upper tribunal without the permission of Secretary of State, which at the time was Iain Duncan Smith’s mate ex-DWP minister Grayling (talk about government stitch up).

 

On top of having to deal with JSA (unemployment), ESA (disability or sick) leaving people in no-man’s land, now claimants now have to deal with ‘Universal Credit’.   This is just an umbrella term for making (or NOT) making payments of various ‘benefits’.

Eight years, DWP have been trying to block me from even registering……   let alone having to deal the next stage of bullying that goes on, as explained in my personal ‘DECLARATION AND STATEMENT OF DISABILITY’  summarising to my GP practice of how DWP are harming patients ‘Health & Wellbeing’ ie. just how I have been treat by the DWP and intend to use it, to ensure that government department do not turn a blind eye regarding DWP mistreatment of people.

Note, ‘Health and Wellbeing’ is just another parliament stunt, where masses of committees / pen-pushers debate and publish generalisations to rights… but of course, in real life and practice are completely ignored and denied, no implementation or common sense whatsoever, leaving people with no help or in some cases on worse than doing nothing.

Professor Mansel Aylward, Dame Carol Black, Lord Freud –  government propaganda committees, are basically fronts for Unum, Atos, and other commercial firms that profiteer from denying monies rather than ensure right and help is provided.

The true mentality of this was exposed expose time and time again, yet nothing done….   on Hansard on public record.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2012-12-19a.305.3&s=speaker%3A12904#g305.4

Lord Freud, a DWP minister….   to being absolutely evil, has actually confirmed DWP does not help people it is an exercise in bullying people and no concern to causing death or harm and leaving them penniles

“The WCA is not a medical diagnosis and the decision affects benefit only; it does not oblige anyone to work.” 

“Whilst the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is legally responsible for all benefit decisions made by officials of the department on his behalf, there is no legal responsibility held by the Secretary of State for the well-being of benefit  claimants. “

“Therefore, neither DWP nor WCA healthcare professionals are liable for any adverse consequence suffered by a claimant following a decision that the claimant is fit for work or for work-related activity.”

This man is on parliamentary record, calls people “stock” – does anyone think he cares, that 10,600 people on official statistics died within 6 weeks of being told they were ‘fit for work’ ie.. left penniless and having to fight with the DWP for monies to just buy food pay their electric etc, instead of being allowed to be sick or die in peace.

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As to the profiteering crony organisation and corruption –   this is a whole other blog, that people have worked tirelessly to expose, this is a good starting point….

As to the background and misconduct of DWP’s health providers ATOS, MAXIMUS etc…. in checking to this being true, it is easy to go direct to source regarding US court cases and where they get kicked out of their own countries nor can claim success etc……

“….   running “disability denial factories” and the Judge fined them $31.7 million. The company were ordered to re-investigate countless thousands of other refused claims, something the company has still failed to complete 7 years later. “

http://whywaitforever.com/dwpatosveteranssummary.html

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As to trying to government and DWP trying to justify sanctioning and inhumane treatment year after year and failing:

Nov 2016, the National Audit Office (NAO) chastised DWP for failing to monitor people whose benefits had been docked and suggested the system cost more money than it saved. (see below article with a link to – 16 ridiculous reason for sanctioning).

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/benefits-sanctions-plunging-claimants-into-hunger-and-depression-cuts-dwp-government-theresa-may-a7446166.html

Two years later Oct 2018 again acknowledged “No evidence that benefit sanctions work”, finds secret  DWP report

There is even a video link in parliament of a Minister being questioned over people crying and distraught when claiming benefits from DWP

“This report shows that there is no evidence that sanctioning helps people increase their earnings. Meanwhile, wages are still below 2008 levels and millions of people are stuck in insecure work. 

The benefit sanctions system has long been fiercely criticised for causing hardship and depression, often on flimsy evidence of wrongdoing.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/benefit-sanctions-universal-credit-dwp-report-study-no-evidence-a8577061.html

Hey, what can I say but DWP and MPs are lobotomised robots with flawed thought processes.

 

 

As of March 2018, DWP continued to ignore how a health disability impacts on everyday life and have done nothing whatsoever to prevent harm –   quite the opposite DWP have ‘blood on their hands’ as per  many deaths attributed to their mistreatment of people making sick or terminally ill lives intolerable as detailed below.

Between Dec 2011 and Feb 2014, 90 people a month died after the DWP told them they were fit for work.

In total, when this was formally reviewed over years 35,000 died, who were cheated of monies and harassed.

Between Mar 2014 and Feb 2017, 10 people a day died after the DWP put them in the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) – fit for work –  hey,  you should be working “Scroungers”, what were they thinking dying.

Despite parliament debate after debate,  politically MPs are failing to hold DWP to account, despite written and statistical evidence,  DWP even found guilty of breaching legislation/ their own rules in court etc – this summary document is the tip of the iceberg to what goes on regarding DWP.

There is no limit to the extent of how disgraceful DWP behaviour is – ignoring the fact of  leaving people penniless, making many destitute.   Under FOI they had to admitted to using fake claimants and made up stories to cover up and make sanctions seem like a good thing  (propaganda):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33974674

FOI has proven – Jobcentre Plus staff use of false names on their ID badges to protect their identities.

Protection of identity from what –   the harm and abuse, bullying and mental cruelty, starvation DWP staff inflict on people – how can this be; DWP sanction leaflet says claimants just love to be sanctioned – it’s so great as per their propaganda !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13681253

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Given benefit sanctions ruin lives. No wonder  DWP have to turn to fiction (propaganda).   Under freedom of information,  DWP was forced to admit to inventing quotes from fake ‘benefits claimants’ for sanctions leaflet promoting how great being sanctioned is, fooling no one but themselves as reported:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/19/benefit-sanctions-ruin-lives-dwp-fiction

“something is  “disgraceful and sinister” about trying to trick people into believing in the benevolent chastisement of the state.” 

“In contrast to the deprivation and destitution that can result from sanctioning, the fictional Zac and Sarah, with their beatific expressions beaming out from leaflets, are eerily chipper.”

“Back in the real world, sanctioned benefits claimants are being forced into homelessness and resorting to food banks. There have been suicides. Last week, a famished woman whose benefits were stopped was prosecuted and fined more than £300 for stealing a 75p pack of Mars Bars.” 

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Unbelievably MPs are prevented from helping claimants, as DWP have become are law unto themselves and made a political system ‘not fit for purpose’ –  on how pathetic this is:

“MPs were being blocked by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) officials from pursuing individual universal credit casework issues on data protection grounds.” 

“Officials had refused to discuss specific cases with MPs unless the claimant concerned had given “explicit consent” for them to do so by issuing detailed instructions via their online universal credit account. ” 

“After complaints from MPs, who called the rule a “major barrier to justice”, it is expected the DWP will issue new guidance on Thursday clarifying that elected representatives can access universal credit information on behalf of claimants.” 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/mar/09/rules-stopping-mps-helping-benefit-claimants-scrapped

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DWP cruel, arbitrary and ridiculous reasons to why people are sanctioned by DWP even MPs reporting this (apart from masses of DWP misdemeanours on Hansard)

http://dwpunspun.org.uk/sanctions

DWP monitor claimants online accounts –   It’s Christmas Day and you don’t fill in your job search evidence form to show that you’ve looked for all the new jobs that are advertised on Christmas Day.  You are sanctioned. Merry Christmas.

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HEALTH AND WELLBEING ‘PARTNERSHIPS’ –   exactly how is DWP treatment of people humane and allowed in a suppose to be civilised country, people are not even allowed to be ill or die in peace !

Man who was too ill to attend fit-for-work interview but terrified of losing benefits dies. CHARLIE McGARVEY’S seriously ill brother Terry, 48, attended his Atos assessment and during this had to be taken to hospital where he died the following day.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/man-who-ill-attend-fit-for-work-3177803

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Wigan Jobcentres tricking people out of benefits to cut costs, says whistle-blower and proven !

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/apr/01/jobcentres-tricking-people-benefit-sanctions?INTCMP=SRCH

Soaring number of sanctions against unemployed amid claims that DWP staff are being told to trip people up with paperwork April 2011 – evidence confirmed with the statistics behind jobseekers sanctions

Sanctions against benefits claimants soar 860k claimants sanctioned 2013 compared to 500k labour 2010

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/nov/06/sanctions-benefits-claimants

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DWP MALFEASANCE CAUSING DEATHS ( Jobcentre staff on public record have been found to be liars and cheats, note ATOS does assessment but DWP ‘amateur’ clerks make decisions), in one year –   10,600 sick and terminally ill that die within 6 weeks of being told they were ‘FIT FOR WORK’ and left penniless by   DWP !

As to deaths:   Half-blind woman crippled with back pain, a former nurse killed herself after benefits were stopped – following DWP ‘medical’ assessment that lasted TWO minutes

• Jacqueline Harris, 53, was told she was fit to return to work
• Widow was partially sighted and only able to walk with the aid of sticks
• Christine Norman claims benefits ruling drove her sister to kill herself

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2513284/Half-blind-woman-crippled-pain-killed-benefits-bosses-stopped-disability-payments–following-TWO-MINUTE-assessment.html

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Declared ‘fit to work’… dead nine days later: Double lung and heart transplant patient passed away a week after her benefits were stopped

• Linda Wootton, 49, was on 10 prescription medications a day
• The former council worker suffered from regular blackouts
• But healthcare assessor Atos ruled that she was ‘fit to work’
• She was told her benefits were being stopped as she lay dying in hospital
• Husband Peter now wants to expose the ordeal his wife went through

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2332038/Double-lung-heart-transplant-patient-died-days-benefits-stopped-declared-fit-work.html

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Heart transplant waiting list war hero who is always ’15 seconds from death’ has benefits stopped because he is not disabled enough

• Alex Smith suffered heart failure but has been told he is fit to work
• He claims he becomes seriously exhausted by even the smallest efforts
• If his life-saving device breaks he has just 15 seconds to live

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2247604/Heart-transplant-waiting-list-war-hero-benefits-stopped-disabled-enough.html

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Another of many harassment cases – Railway engineer diagnosed with COPD, hooked up to oxygen tank 16 hrs a day, originally diagnosed in 1988 but managed to work until 2005, he is STOPPING MEDICAL TREATMENT WITH THE INTENTION OF DYING as he has HAD ENOUGH OF JOBCENTRE MAKING HIM JUMP THROUGH HOOPS.

http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2012/07/19/fife-man-in-death-protest-over-benefits/

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An army veteran and his wife punished for having a learning disability, killed themselves because they could not face another winter living off charity food bank handouts. Nov 2011

In a video filmed at a soup kitchen a yr before their deaths   –   Mr Mullins told how his wife’s lack of numeracy and literacy skills DWP had purposefully put them in a benefits limbo:

“The job centre decided Helen couldn’t sign on as she was incapable of employment as she has no literacy and numeracy skills. “

“However, the incapacity people wouldn’t recognise her disabilities which led to month after month of seeing specialists. We’re in a catch 22 situation,“ he said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8878543/Poverty-suicide-couple-had-warned-of-hopeless-situation.html

Further reports, highlight lack of social care and breach of human rights , the Mullins were even denied   ‘right to family life’ –   social services are understood to have taken her 12-year-old daughter away due to being unable to look after her due to having no monies as a result of the cruelty of DWP.

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Severely disabled man needing 24hr care, deaf and blind and fed through tube – declared ‘fit for work

http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2012/05/23/incidents-like-this-shame-us-all/

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Man with life-threatening blood clots and open leg ulcers loses benefits after job centre labels him fit for work.     Caution – graphic photographs

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2137377/Man-suffering-blood-clots-open-ulcers-loses-benefits-job-centre-labels-fit-work.html

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Disabled former NHS nurse says she has slept in car for more than a year and eaten out of bins to survive because her benefits were slashed

• Ann Cumberland-Quinn still sleeping in her car six months after telling her story
• The 55-year-old, residing in Ely, Cambridgeshire, can barely walk due to illness
• Ms Cumberland-Quinn who suffers from a condition called paresthesia
• Doctor notes she can only walk ‘using two crutches with great difficulty’
• Yet Department for Work and Pensions said she’s not elligble for PIP

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5055367/Disabled-NHS-nurse-living-car-six-months.html

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On how EVIL AND DUPLICITOUS amateur MPs and DWP staff are regarding mistreating people – freedom of Information (FOI) revealed around 73 people a week die miserable deaths, harassed and deprived of all monies.

Does anyone think DWP took notice of GPs –   official annual statistics 2012, DWP ‘decisions’ and DWP health assessors left 10,600 people penniless, who died within 6 weeks of being told they were ‘fit for work’ and refused sick and disability ‘benefit’ (ESA) !  Living claimants are refused unemployment monies (JSA) as DWP claim they are not ‘fit for work’ as they have limitations to where or what work they can actually do, so are left in no-man’s land. DWP subsequently refused to provide this information and Iain Duncan Smith often caught lying on record many times, saying statistics were not on record.

Also regularly acknowledged in court,   DWP are in breach of their own corrupt rules – in particular sanctioning people. DWP have been found guilty in court of cheating 240,000 people of monies, some month later despite the ruling the court ruling of illegality of this, the number rose to 500,000 people. MPs and IDS tried resort to rushing through retro-legislation so they would not have to pay this, but, again found to be illegal leaving people with no monies for months to years on end.

As pointed out, already, Universal Credit is no different, behind it – it is the same assessment, same clerks and same tricks and cheat claimants out of monies and do not provide help to them under any circumstances.

Unemployment monies is a maximum of £71 pw (under 25 yrs £55 pw) to pay for all food, utility bills water, electric gas, tel, transport, clothing etc –   a totally evil system. DWP harassment and sanction are killing people for so little !

Lesson’s are NOT learnt, the same flannel gets spouted by DWP’s nameless spokespersons’ and pathetic MPs (who have allowed this to happen in the first place), brainlessly trotting out party lines, say anything that’s expedient, use the same PR spin or saying oh dear it’s the other political parties fault !

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Apart from inhumanity of sanctioning, to how pathetic and unsafe this is  – sanctioned, left with no monies,

” David Clapton died because of diabetic lack of insulin…..    “

“His electricity had been cut off (meaning that the fridge where he kept his insulin was no longer working). There was very little left to eat in the flat – six tea bags, an out-of-date tin of sardines and a can of tomato soup. His pay-as-you-go mobile phone had just 5p credit left on it and he had only £3.44 in his bank account. The autopsy notes reveal that his stomach was empty. “

“D Clapton, had worked for 29 years, was anxious to stress that he should not be seen as “scrounger” :   he was actively searching for work, and found dead next to a pile of CVs he had just printed out found a few metres from his body. “

“He spent five years in the army, two of them serving in Belfast, 16 years working for BT and another eight at other companies before he stopped working to care for their mother who had developed dementia. When she died three years ago, he began to look for a new job and was put on the government’s ‘ Work Programme’ twice

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/03/victims-britains-harsh-welfare-sanctions

ie.    ‘Work Programme’ :    DWP  forced the unemployed to work for FREE for commercial companies such as Poundland shelf stacking.   The taxpayer picked up the bill for basic ‘unemployment’ monies, minimum wages is not paid and of course accompanied by DWPs arbitrary and unfair sanction – this scheme  statistically proven did nothing to actually improve people’s employment prospects !

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As to the background and misconduct of DWP’s health providers ATOS, MAXIMUS etc…. in checking to this being true, it is easy to go direct to source regarding US court cases and where they get kicked out of their own countries nor can claim success etc……

“….      running “disability denial factories” and the Judge fined them $31.7 million. The company were ordered to re-investigate countless thousands of other refused claims, something the company has still failed to complete 7 years later.

http://whywaitforever.com/dwpatosveteranssummary.html

======================

DWP IGNORE HEALTH PROBLEMS AND ACTUALLY PURPOSEFULLY MAKE PEOPLE DESTITUTE CAUGHT OUT ON FOI

DWP (department of works and pensions) and government ministers, are intentionally leaving people with any sort of health problem, even terminally ill , without monies and in dire poverty

DWP have LIED and obfuscate, purposefully giving conflicting information,   under freedom of information (FOI):

FOI 2012:   “Having reviewed your request I can confirm that the content of the original response is upheld. We do not hold the requested statistics as

“A PERSON CANNOT BE IN A POSITION WHERE THEY ARE INELIGIBLE FOR EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORT ALLOWANCE (ESA) AND NOT FIT ENOUGH TO MEET THE CONDITIONS REQUIRED FOR CLAIMING JOBSEEKER’S ALLOWANCE (JSA). “

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/claimants_not_eligible_for_esa_o#comment-36713

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FOI 2013 contradiction – Claimants not eligible JSA (unemployment) or for ESA (incapacity/disability) were left penniless:

“THERE IS NO BENEFIT FOR PEOPLE WHO FALL BETWEEN ESA AND JSA CONDITIONS. If a person is found not to have limited capability for work for ESA purposes, they will qualify for JSA unless they put restrictions on their availability for work which are unreasonable in the light of their physical or mental condition.”

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/available_benefits#incoming-369049 

Without a doubt DWP lied and have been refusing to monitor statistics and report on this   – there is clear evidence in parliament transcripts. FOI evidence and cases of deaths picked up in the media (tip of the iceberg) –   this case , which says it all to DWP lies, punishing something as simple as a learning disability and people have to die for this – even the daily mail has had to admit DWP wrong doings :

Suicides, denied ESA and JSA and left in poverty across 2 winters (Nov 2011): 

Dying to stay warm?   The state must take responsibility 

“The story of Mark and Helen Mullins is one that should never be told, and it should never be told because it shouldn’t have occurred in the first place”.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2059895/Dying-stay-warm-The-state-responsibility.html

NOTE. terminal cancers, chronic health conditions apparently are disqualifying restrictions, so DWP can cheat of all monies regarding unemployment JSA and do not qualify for ESA …..  !

Legislation and legal right are ignored or cherry picked by DWP to what’s convenient to them – the inhumane farce of refusing £71 pw “the minimum on which the law says to live”,   government’s labour and conservatives parties are a sick joke of allowing this mistreatment, harassment and lies

The individual is denied paid professional legal representation, the pretence of fair tribunal system is a joke – where individuals have to take on a government departments, and a system that keeps providing money to proper up a disgraceful cruel government department we are suppose to obtain medical evidence and put personal details in the public domain etc…. whilst the DWP are handed £22m for basically denying people monies. Again, governments unfairly disadvantaging very vulnerable people, because to many sick people are actually winning cases.

https://benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/3693-dwp-presenting-officers-at-half-of-all-pip-tribunals

There is no safeguard that people will be placed on one benefit or another and have a minimum income on which to survive, the tribunal system takes no account of this, it either rules benefit is payable under ESA or not, JSA benefit is payable or not…..   and MPs know full well people are left without monies in no-mans land.   They are denied unemployment monies as they have restrictions/ limitation on what they can work or what they can do (NOR is this assessed, mobility is assessed on press a button, not what jobs they can do), then they are not classed as sick or properly disabled on the basis of something as stupid that they can press a button, put a hand above their head etc…. and as per the case below can make a cup of tea (it is not assessed they would not be able to do this on a professional level or for how long etc…. it is so pathetic)

Every week people are reported to be dying miserable deaths, as to how people are treat in general….. the most recent farce:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6129841/Father-battling-cancer-benefits-cut-make-cup-tea.html

As above, DWP policy is clear, deny monies by any excuse possible, they even sub-contract to agencies that are internationally notorious for cheating people of monies and still do not put it right several years later !

There is no equality before the law,   there are rights –   yes I know I have rights, but I have no means of enforcing them, and I have documented years of the farce of this trying to appeal for common sense to DWP and tribunal system while left completely destitute.   The government is by stealth, basically penalises family/ relatives and friends that have to pick up the expenses because of parliaments and an evil government department that has no qualms at inflicting cruelty and denying human rights.

DWP’s latest stunt on hypocrisy of legal rights, is to pay a charity a further £39 m to tell people of their rights (but again, this does not include a means of enforcing them or guarantee they will be received); the government have knowingly continued to denying legal rights and have no intention of providing them – this is just throwing money at tiered unaccountable bureaucracy.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/universal-credit-citizens-advice-dwp-work-and-pensions-esther-mcvey-conservative-conferency-tory-a8563181.html

So in summary:     No rights by DWP have been considered regarding International Economic or Social ratified agreements have been taken into account in my case or even under UK law.

We are suppose to have  legal rights – disability, equality, human rights etc –   but in reality trying to just going about daily life, nothing is done to ensure that these are actually received or enforced in any respect concerning public services ie. welfare, healthcare, education or working life etc;   all of which are secondary to not having enough monies to just to exist from day to day.   No one is held to account for the harm DWP inflicts, when it leaves people penniless, for months to years at a time and even when people die, nothing constructive is done.

Definition of poverty is to be left with no monies to pay for food, clothing, shelter which includes no monies to pay for such basic utilities as water and energy…. the government has failed to ensure that vulnerable people are adequately protected – the aim of the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) is not to provide help but to use the excuse for their mistreatment is “saving taxpayer” monies.

For the many individuals, who are left in dire poverty,  it is a continual losing battle to obtain basic necessities of life,  and who is held accountable – no body.

 

Universal Credit…..   18 April 2018, Wigan became a ‘full service area’ in the on-going saga of dealing with DWP, after eight years of being left penniless as basically I wasn’t eligible for ESA or JSA ie.  Iain Duncan Smiths and MPs purposefully designed policy to cheat claimant and make them disappear off statistics.

Surprise, surprise I did actually manage to  register for UC, after creating this website, but have had years of them trying to cheat me of monies, currently I haven’t had any monies since May 2022, so my case  is at Tribunal despite they did their best attempts to just make me disappear and not able to have my case reviewed  (and that’s going to be  a whole other website of the next five years).

Note, Chronic pancreatic survival rate is only 45% at 20 years, was 70% at 10 yrs and is a deteriorating condition  (National Institute of Clinical Excellence),  statistics puts this in perspective:

• Chronic pancreatitis 100,000 patients in 20 years survival rate 45% –     55,000 will be dead
• Asthma incidence of 100,000 patients is 1.5 deaths pa, so in 20 years –      30 will be dead

MEDICAL GASLIGHTING,    if there is no cure or specific treatment,  sick and vulnerable patient groups are subjected to the  collusion of DWP and NHS  especially if they don’t die quick enough –  which means, apart from cheated of sublevel poverty monies ,  bullied into being prescribed anti-anxiety meds  or  subjected CBT whether needed or not, research proves neither work and nor is helpful treat patients as lab rats.

My case there are scans and labs to being  real physical problems,  so I particularly find the gaslighting and playing pass the patient unforgiveable.

https://me-pedia.org/wiki/Medical_gaslighting

Here’s a copy of a summary to date at 2018  for my GP practice regarding  what DWP has been up, and since then discovered how evil the system is and warped collusion behind the scenes to NHS involvement in this.

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Dear GPs

Re: Allergies/ Chemical Sensitivities which manifest as Protracted Anaphylaxis

I have to inform you that, Dept of Works and Pensions (DWP), would like statements concerning my health records.

Could you please confirm on record for DWP – my medical history backs me up since 1999, regarding exposure to air freshener (dichlorobenzene see below) resulting in harm, organ damage and development of IgE allergies .

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As this has now been going on for 18 years – I am sick of being harmed and legal rights denied, so this is my declaration and statement of disability , and if DWP or anyone wants to dispute anything I say, it can be stated on written record and contested across public record for once and all – especially amongst pathetic government departments in relation to the conduct of DWP and on what they have been allowed to get away with !

I am having to take such measures to establish basic human rights – all parties involved in this farce are getting a copy of this letter alongside an individual complaint letter for their pathetic part they played in this ie. NHS, DWP and Dept of Justice and Wigan Council, Conservatives and Labour parties.

Despite being housebound for a decade, in all this time have DWP have only paid 6 months monies in sum total, nor have provided any help, despite the fact I paid tax and NI for decades, so did my family.

For the last 8 years DWP, apart from leaving me with no monies, providing no resources, have completely made my life a misery.

There is no cure for allergies, they do have serious consequences, NO one should be subject to “toxic assault” or mistreat in this respect.- all allergy advice is to avoid allergens.

DWP are completely out of order, I have legal rights to ‘paper based assessment’ and to have a disability accommodated.   Given this is a digital age… there is no need for people such as myself to be inflicted with “face to face” harm.

The ratified UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and UK statutory Equality Act defines disability as:

“… someone who has a mental or physical impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.”

Which even includes social interaction – it gives a legal right to have disability accommodate within society ! It also provides, there is no need for a person to establish a medical diagnosis causing their impairment, it is the effect of the impairment not the cause that has to be accommodated…   I also have the right to communicate in a manner that does not cause me harm.

Apparently, regarding new ‘Universal Credit’,   I am suppose to get my GP to confirm the fact that I cannot just be expected to go and work anywhere (un-accommodated)….. but, more to the point from my perspective, is that:

I should not be subjected to “TOXIC ASSAULT” regarding ALLERGIES    – irrespective of whether this is intentional or through negligence

Additionally regarding ‘Personal Independence Payment’ (PIP) despite the fact – I am legally classified as having a disability and certainly have rights to a ‘paper-based assessment’; DWP completely failed to inform me of, nor offered me this, and are negligently in not ensuring that this was use – it is blatantly obviously given my detailed written medical background, but instead DWP used their usual dirty tactics, to try and close my claim.

I do NOT accept DWP’s dirty tactics, where clerks turning up at my home and make me sick ie. “toxic assault”; certainly DWP didn’t check with either myself or my GP first to see if this was okay (it is NOT).   Nor did they make any provision on a H&S basis to ensure my safety – which makes their actions completely unacceptable apart from illegal and negligent for not using a paper based assessment given my application / medical history !

Furthermore on “toxic assault” if I resorted to treating people how they treat me, or decided to retaliated using a pepper spray, or sprayed other noxious chemicals for fun and left every place stinking of this – claiming this is okay as it smells nice – on a legal basis no one would put up with this, despite the fact, I would not cause them anywhere near the harmful effect allergens have on me.

DWP and NHS have very flawed systems and are failing to protect people while pretending otherwise; it should not be acceptable for NHS to have it’s patients treat like this (pg 12). I am detailing all aspects of this as it needs to be acknowledged regarding patients health and wellbeing to what exactly has been going-on.

To accommodate my disability, on postal signing previously, my GP wrote a letter, that DWP requested, DWP just ignored it, ie. no monies and certainly no help.

For four years, DWP gave me a paper trail run-around – despite getting their request GP letter.   DWP messed around and then tried to close my claim, saying postal signing was reserved for drug or alcohol addicts, or someone that is likely to physically assault JCP staff . Despite pointing out their own rules did not say this, they just used their standard response, always a non-committal customer service letter, stating that I could appeal this if I was not happy with….   on this basis, giving themselves a month at a time to respond, made me write to different people, various office, local, regional office, NW complaint resolution, central office, head office, chief executive, Tony Moron and ministers etc   Pathetically resulting in trying to actually get a case heard by the upper tribunal, but permission needs to be granted by Secretary of State, which of course was Iain Duncan Smith mate, DWP ex-minister Chris Grayling (how’s that for a government stitch up of denial of rights).

This latest DWP farce is ‘Universal Credit’, apart from trying to close my claim before I am even allowed to register – as I cannot attend their pathetic ‘face to face’ interviews; DWP are totally ignoring me in providing equipment to do this via Telepresence or electronic means etc.

And currently, I have only got this far as I posted a FOI request to rights regarding claim registration and facilities (of which they are trying to weasel out of answering). And, once again I have been subjected to “toxic assault”, as I refused to let them close my claim.

On this basis, they now want another GP letter –   so I am basically on the same treadmill as 8 years ago ie. I am now suppose to get my, GPs to state that: “I cannot just go and work anywhere” for Wigan Jobcentre, and for PIP – my GP needs to state a “paper-based assessment should be offered as an alternative”, which no doubt DWP will again ignore like postal signing, I have spent years appealing for common sense, whilst keeping vast amount of JCP staff in jobs, basically just to deny me £70 a week.

Furthermore, if DWP require information from my GP – it should be stated in writing, what they require and directly from my GP, and all parties ensure I receive a copy of this; not that DWP take any notice of what GP’s say anyway (pg 12)…. basically, it’s just DWP excuse and delay tactics to cause as much  inconvenience as they can. Claimant have their claims closed, have to contesting it over and over –   it keeps them in jobs, with the hopes, claimants just eventually give up and go away.

As to 8 years of misery through DWP – they claimed, on tribunal written record, I have restrictions to where I can work, so am not eligible to unemployment monies – likewise, hypocritically on their ESA criteria I am ineligible for monies, as I can press a button, put my hands above my head and on allergies, NOT sick unless DWP makes me sick by ‘toxic assault’ (ignoring this is a serious disability). As to Income Support DWP, have ignore me on all together despite I am suppose to be not eligible for either JSA or ESA – which basically means no entitlement to anything for (see appendix, FOI confirms to this to also being true for other people too, it is even acknowledge in Hansard transcripts too) .

Note,    DWP does not include people like me in their figures, and the latest DWP suicide of people registered – a 21 year old with Kidney disease, across in Chorley who like many, couldn’t take dealing with DWP anymore – yet another claimant of their book !

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5628837/Mother-21-killed-feared-losing-benefits-inquest-heard.html

DWP are not going to get away with this, glance through this letter, and if you think the evidence in this letter is damning – tip of the iceberg see section DWP “blood on their hands “.

Note, all this fight and hassle is just to get me registered with the DWP; if I do manage to fight my way through this;   I then have a continued fight not be harmed by their vindictive clerks, who get paid to sanctioned people, weekly/ fortnightly reviews – contend with tick-box health assessment bureaucracy, health assessment by foreign companies that are allowed to operate on behalf of the DWP, but are considered illegal in their own countries (see appendix pg 16);   DWP are only interest is paying claimants less or NO monies (on record £16 billion goes unclaimed from DWP, wonder why).

In summary, on the basis of human rights regarding my declaration and statement of disability:   I have allergies, I should not be subject to “toxic assault” and provision should be made to ensure I am not harmed in daily life either intentionally or negligently.

Yours sincerely

Georgette Orwell

See also section;     Declaration and Statement of Disability – medical aspect, and DWP  “blood on their hands”.

DWP aim is to  cheat claimants of all monies,  leave them penniless, with certainly no intention of ever providing help to anyone.    So never be fooled by “health & wellbeing ” and any  political speak, it’s a complete sham,  Lord Freud is completely representative of political mentality behind DWP policies.

 

 

This is what daily life is like to people such as myself, and obviously on “toxic assault”  this victim is far less sensitive to a general range of products then I am to be out shopping.

Woman almost died from allergy to air freshener 

“A woman collapsed and almost died from her allergy to air freshener aerosols after she asked a shop assistant to stop spraying it and was ignored.” 

…..     almost died after a supermarket worker sprayed air freshener into a changing room which caused her to collapse and stop breathing 

…….   Initially, her pulse could not be found. A passer-by with first aid experience resuscitated her and she was taken by ambulance to Rotherham District General Hospital.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5972025/Woman-almost-died-from-allergy-to-air-freshener.html

 

Case law, concerning disability accommodation:

Dyer vs London Ambulance Trust 2014, fragrance allergy  – is significant in being unable to safely accommodate this disability on potential risk of harm.

https://www.springhouselaw.com/updates/aerosols-perfume-reasonable-adjustments

Risk of harm:   H&S Act 1974  on a basis of safety overrides Equality Act  – fragrance allergy  could NOT be safely accommodated  in a working environment as the consequences were potentially fatal, whether intentional ignored or by accident.

So in other words an employee is  “prevented from working by law” on risk of harm (they do not have the option of waiving this),  likewise for  employers –  visitor to the premises,  there are insurance liability consequences too etc.

As to the medical aspect of this and background which is the exact opposite of  receiving help  from the  Department of Works and Pensions (DWP),  who still try to ignore this, and  on how they mistreat people –  be under no illusion  the new ‘ Universal Credit ‘;   there is no different to how claimants are bullied  and  rights denied  by the same staff, with the same evil intent to just make them disappear off statistics  and in effect ostracised from society.

I have a serious health disability, it is document to being made sick due to inadvertently exposed to massive overdoses of air freshener chemicals (multi-blocks and sprays) at work, all day long, over a long period.

Besides being  left  organ damage – chronic pancreatitis after the pancreatic head died, which periodically aggravates my liver too,  and is difficult to manage regarding allergenic triggers, apart from foods,  fragrance necessitating being housebound, and have many ‘acute’  flare-up

As to proof and reason to why disability happened, apart from on medical records, including a GP letter who wrote in response to my employer (without  either seeking my permission), I have copies of invoices of what was used – just ONE of the many harmful chemicals that I was exposed to at very high levels was dichlorobenzene.

Without a doubt, HSE failed to restrict dichlorobenzene on behalf of DWP regarding ventilation and product safety in the workplace. Alongside dichlorobenzene, fragrance (perfume) chemicals and many other chemicals in commercial products are sensitizers and are extremely harmful too – some recently banned by EU, but many others still ignored.

HSE Extract – Air Freshener REACH consultations 2012 and EU actual restricted 2015 regarding dichlorobenzene:

“Consumers are exposed to the substance when they use 1,4-dichlorobenzene based products at home or when they visit public toilets deodorised with these products…… “

“1,4-dichlorobenzene has been classified as a category 2 carcinogen (liver tumours). It also affects the kidneys and respiratory tract. “ 

“The dossier demonstrates that consumers using 1,4-dichlorobenzene products at home, and professionals employed in public toilets where 1,4-dichlorobenzene products are used are exposed above safe levels, i.e. the risks from the substance in these population groups are not adequately controlled.” 

“It is estimated that the benefits of the restriction would be between 9 and 22 times higher than the costs –     “ 

ARCHIVED HSE REFERENCE  (scroll down to section 2)

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120708152357/http://www.hse.gov.uk/reach/news.htm

ALSO

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121103205y156/http://www.hse.gov.uk/reach/news.htm 

health concerns confirmed 2012 by EU REACH and restriction came into force 2015:   Excessive exposure to 1,4-dichlorobenzene may affect the blood, brain, eye, kidney, liver, lung and skin. And HSE previously Feb 2006, knew this but had done nothing.

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20060216120000/http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/444255/446867/255244/substances/1002/index141f.html

Whilst this is great it has now been restricted, unfortunately it’s 15 years to late for me, as basically I have developed chemical sensitivities to minute particles regarding a range of other products – scented or unscented.

The only thing to be thankful for on my behalf is the EU, who have actually been steps taken to protect people with allergies and restrict such hazardous chemicals for other people.   Although, now HSE are running consultations to try and get this overturned as soon as UK leaves the EU.

DWP used their usual dirty tactics, to try and close my claim, either refuse to register it as I cannot cope with their “face to face” toxic assault at their office or at my home.

I’ve even had DWP clerks  just turning up at my home and make me sick ie. “toxic assault”; certainly DWP didn’t check with either myself or my GP first to see if this was okay (it is NOT).   Nor did they make any provision on a H&S basis to ensure my safety – which makes their actions completely unacceptable apart from illegal and negligent for not using a paper based assessment given my application / medical history !

In the past, depending on how hyper-reactive I am, these are the most problematic – air fresheners, perfumes, various scented/ unscented cleaning products, washing powders, personal products eg. shampoos, soaps, deodorants, terpenes, limonene, linalool,   some plastics, rubbers, some metals, paints and inks, foods, plants, moulds, dust etc

This is far worse than a peanut allergy on isolating effect from society and avoidance –  the nature of fragrance is oil based, coats surfaces and is airborne (VOCs).   Even if a person has not used them themselves, everywhere they go pick up particles from where they’ve been and what they have come into contact with – especially regarding scented air fresheners/ personal products / laundry products, which apart from the absolutely nauseating sickly fragrance stench, it is very difficult to washout.   After exposure, not only does this make me feel ill for days/ weeks, but wearing me down to being down to being sick for months with potential for organ damage.

On a legal basis, DWP has failed to provide facilities and adhere to H&S rights, disability, equality and legislation compliance.   They are suppose to be responsible for these – how do they think employees are going to fare in the workplace and in daily life – exactly how am I protected, when DWP completely ignores legislation themselves.

There are periods, I have been MADE very sick, and now I do not even have the luxury of going to hospital; basically NHS have no provision to prevent further harm…..   so I’d rather take my chances at home eg. 2016 was ill for months by triggered chronic pancreatitis, including jaundice, lost two stone in weight.

As a result of DWP policies, we now have a country that starved their people into submission, sanctions them, makes them working for FREE for commercial organisation/ pseudo charities or drives them to suicide, causing miserable deaths and much stress (see appendix).

On what claimants have to contend with, even if they manage to get registered –   a legal provision was made by Iain Duncan Smith that claimants can be sanctioned of all monies for three years.   If you think I am exaggerating over the cruelty of the DWP look at some of the actual deaths – a learning disability needs to be punishment worse than committing a crime, sick elderly nurses deserves no monies etc (see appendix below).

And, even when claimants win cases, DWP re-assess them, refuses money and making them jump through the same hoops over and over again, and continually leaving them without monies.

DWP do not help people, it just leaves them with no monies, no access to a solicitor, which given unemployment monies is circa £3500 pa – commercial lawyers have no interest in suing for such a pittance (which means taking on a government and a pig ignorant empire of clerks with no legal aid). And, even when, DWP is found guilty of breaching their own rules eg. a court class action of DWP cheating five hundred thousand, yes that’s 500,000 people wrongly denied monies via sanctioning, it still does not get paid as IDS/ ministers retrospectively illegally changed the rules/ legislation and continued to ignore the courts.

As to the new ‘Universal credit’ system, be under no illusion, this is no different to how claimants are treat.   It is exactly the same assessment behind it ie. the same bunch of amateur ‘decision’ clerks, and worse, same flawed admin tick-box assessment criteria by foreign owned profiteering commercial companies.

‘Freedom of information’ (FOI) has established, the ESA (disability/sick) assessment criteria of ‘denial’ eg. press a button, put your hands above your head, and then there is A2E, CAPITA etc being paid lots of money, to ‘help’ claimants – which is basically is just bully claimants to shuffling details around on a CV, who do not obtain work from this. Under FOI, they even thwarting attempt to get statistics on deaths attributed to DWP policies.

ESA tick-box assessment is NOT even a real medical/ certainly no diagnosis nor healthcare about this – nor do these companies have real medical specialist (thousands have died within weeks of being found ‘fit for work’) nor is there any report of actually what jobs claimants can do.

Work groups, provide no practical help to do this, no facilities are provided other than claimants being made to attend premise with poor IT equipment and made to shuffle details around on a CV’s under threat of sanction, and do job searches – this is NOT help and statistically on record proved worse than DWP doing nothing –   imagine Stephen Hawkins going through ATOS assessment, with no support or equipment provided, expected to get an unskilled job, travel to it and live on £3500 pa etc (see DWP “blood on their hands” section  confirming this is exactly how DWP treat people).

MPs have fully known this for years and well documented to being true – they negligently accepting many deaths attributed to DWP treatment; while millions are bullied and lives made absolutely miserable.   A system designed by MPs who cannot honestly even run their own petty cash accounts, let alone do NOT have the skills or expertise to run institutes.

NHS ‘cradle to grave’ philosophy – on medical treatment and patients living unharmed; NHS should not be turning a blind eye.   Either cure people or make provision to help them and ensure DWP at least afforded basic human rights to food/ clothing/ housing.

It really should not even be DWP responsibility, a bunch of unqualified ‘decision’ clerks who get bonuses for denying people monies and leave them destitute. Most are fortunate enough to have relatives/ friends to help them where DWP leave them homeless ‘sofa surfing’, but in effect, government are indirectly financially penalising anyone that helps people that, DWP has cruelly left penniless.

DWP has done nothing, but try to bring my integrity into question, treats me as if I am stupid and developed systems so people like me, run around in circles for their convenience and intentionally make peoples life’s as difficult, making lots of people destitute and harming their health further (exactly how is this helping people) !

DWP has absolutely taken no account take of –   I have 5 A’ Levels, HNC Business & Finance, BSc (Hons) and university certificates in science and IT etc have spending vast amounts of my time and money getting these since 1988 whilst working.   As to work, I have QTS to teach in school or colleges, that’s without mentioning 25 yrs experience as management accountant within manufacturing industry (previously worked 50-70 hour weeks, in having to keep up with government legislation and bureaucracy etc)…..

As to general stigmatisation of claimants – on a personal level, from decades of an employer perspective, the government “shirker” propaganda regarding unemployed/ sick/ disabled is lies –   quite the opposite, it is DWP that is the complete waste of time and money.

In conclusion, DWP needs to establish just how they are going to ‘help’ me without subjecting me to “toxic assault” and put this on written record – there is no reason why any government departments cannot restrict their communication to electronic means only and likewise ensure that people can participate in working life/ society via Telepresence etc.

I should not need permission to be classed as having a health disability, although I would appreciate my GP practice confirming my statement –   I intend to ensure DWP farcical systems and arrogant clerks stop treating people like this. Personally, I will never forgive any of them, to how they have treat me and other people – they do have ‘blood on their hands.’, so I make NO apology for writing this (see appendix pg 8) .

In summary, on the basis of human rights regarding my declaration and statement of disability:       I have allergies, I should not be subject to “toxic assault” and provision should be made to ensure I am not harmed in daily life either intentionally or negligently.