Disabled Man Takes Hunger Strike To Atos
DPAC Caerdydd | 05.11.2012 00:35
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE ISSUE
DISABLED PROTESTOR TO STAGE VIGIL & HUNGER STRIKE OUTSIDE OF ATOS OFFICES IN CARDIFF
DISABLED PEOPLE AGAINST CUTS (DPAC) CAERDYDD
DISABLED PROTESTOR TO STAGE VIGIL & HUNGER STRIKE OUTSIDE OF ATOS OFFICES IN CARDIFF
DISABLED PEOPLE AGAINST CUTS (DPAC) CAERDYDD
A disabled person in his 30s will lead a five-day hunger strike and vigil outside the ATOS office on St Agnes Road, Gabalfa, Cardiff to protest a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) declaring him fit for work and cutting his benefits.
Christos Palmer, who has both mental and physical health problems, including depression, self-harm and mobility issues, hopes the protest will highlight the suffering of disabled people caused by current government policies.
ATOS, the French IT company that carries out the controversial Work Capability Assessments assessments for the DWP has been the subject of widespread condemnation from disability charities and the British Medical Association who call for the s to be scrapped completely. The firm has been accused of target chasing for cutting the amount of people found eligible for benefits.
Rob Marsh, a protest spokesperson said,
“Earlier this year a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary revealed the DWP requires ATOS to reject the benefit claims of 7 out of 8 disabled claimants, resulting in immense suffering, homelessness, or death. The mark of a civilised society is how it addresses the needs of its most vulnerable members. Given what is happening to tens of thousands of disabled people in Britain today, we can no longer claim to be a civilized society.
Our campaign is part of a national campaign that goes by the name “Atos Kills”. This is based on well-documented evidence that approximately 32 disabled people a week died last year after their Atos Work Capability Assessments deemed them “fit to work” and stopped benefits. This year the figure has risen to 73 deaths per week including suicides”
A spokesperson from Disabled People Against Cuts in Cardiff said,
“While we support the protest aims we are extremely concerned about Christos’s physical and mental well-being. He often suffers from extreme fatigue and is housebound on some days. That somebody so unwell has been driven to this shows the desperation that the sick and disabled are being driven to by this government. We are urging him to end his hunger strike”
The protest begins on Monday [5th November] at 8 am and end on Friday afternoon.
Christos Palmer, who has both mental and physical health problems, including depression, self-harm and mobility issues, hopes the protest will highlight the suffering of disabled people caused by current government policies.
ATOS, the French IT company that carries out the controversial Work Capability Assessments assessments for the DWP has been the subject of widespread condemnation from disability charities and the British Medical Association who call for the s to be scrapped completely. The firm has been accused of target chasing for cutting the amount of people found eligible for benefits.
Rob Marsh, a protest spokesperson said,
“Earlier this year a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary revealed the DWP requires ATOS to reject the benefit claims of 7 out of 8 disabled claimants, resulting in immense suffering, homelessness, or death. The mark of a civilised society is how it addresses the needs of its most vulnerable members. Given what is happening to tens of thousands of disabled people in Britain today, we can no longer claim to be a civilized society.
Our campaign is part of a national campaign that goes by the name “Atos Kills”. This is based on well-documented evidence that approximately 32 disabled people a week died last year after their Atos Work Capability Assessments deemed them “fit to work” and stopped benefits. This year the figure has risen to 73 deaths per week including suicides”
A spokesperson from Disabled People Against Cuts in Cardiff said,
“While we support the protest aims we are extremely concerned about Christos’s physical and mental well-being. He often suffers from extreme fatigue and is housebound on some days. That somebody so unwell has been driven to this shows the desperation that the sick and disabled are being driven to by this government. We are urging him to end his hunger strike”
The protest begins on Monday [5th November] at 8 am and end on Friday afternoon.
DPAC Caerdydd
e-mail:
dpaccaerdydd@gmail.com
Comments
Display the following 7 comments