As I was forced to go through an ATOS medical last wednesday 11th, thousands of people were marching through London in protest at ATOS bullshit. As part of the Hardest Hit campaign, they marched to Parliament, and many went on to meet their MPs, and had imaginative posters with “ATOS don’t give a toss” and one with braille; “We’re being ……….. by the government!”. Apparently the braille word meant ‘screwed’…
But brilliant that people are rising up against ATOS, hopefully we can draw attention to how hopeless they are, and how completely inappropriate it is to give a company contracts to review benefits and then offer them bonuses for how many people they kick off said benefits. Biased much, anyone?
Their decisions in some cases have been outrageous, and their treatment of those who have mental disorders frankly shocking. How in heck is someone sitting at a computer clicking a mouse for half an hour supposed to assess someone’s mental health, especially if they’re not specifically trained to do so? Don’t we have psychologists for that sort of thing?
As for questions I was asked in the medical – almost word for word the form I filled in… oooh, must be 9 months ago now. That’s right, 9 months from initial claim to medical. And two months after last claim to medical. *Blows raspberry*
And the physical test at the end? Can I stand up? Can I raise my foot? Can I bend my knee? Can I stand on one leg and touch my nose whilst at the same time reciting the alphabet backwards? Well, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea.
I don’t think I have a future as a performing seal, but hopefully I have a future as Students With Disabilities officer at Cardiff University. That’s right, I’ve put my name down, no backing out now. Design meeting for posters this week, and gotta come up with a manifesto by Monday. Watch this space!
DeafFirefly 
Welcome the the influence of the U.S.. We have been dealing with this sort of disablism for about twenty years. As both a person with a disability, and as a provider of mental health services, my life is impacted by such governmental behavior, and the activities of companies hired as quasi-governmental entities. As I do not receive governmental services, the impacts of the”economic downturn” and the race to chop services to the disabled have not directly effected me. (Actually, they have effected me in that reimbursement for health care services delivered by providers have also been reduced significantly.) However, they effect everyone I work for and with. In the long run, I will need more services and that will be at best, problematic.
In the meanwhile, do as we are able to resist the influences greed, and the accompanying cuts. Good luck in your studies, and in your efforts to limit the effectiveness of the greedy ones.
Wow, hope you can turn the tide against the greedy ones over there. That situation is what I fear is happening over here, that services will be chipped away until there’s nothing left. For my part, I’m gonna resist for as long as I can! Thanks, hope you keep enjoying the blog 🙂
I thought your ATOS medical was cancelled?
You’re quite right, but turns out – it was only cancelled according to the DWP. Not ATOS. Check out the new post for the full story!