{UAH} The DWP accused of 'killing people'
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4:32 AM |
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Comrade Akim Odong,
While the world's attention is fixed on the migrant crisis, no body is
seriously thinking about the impact that unregulated migration will
have on the poor of Europe. All over Europe, governments have
implemented severe austerity cuts which have resulted in drastic
reductions in welfare benefits for the poor, disabled and the sick. In
the UK, the Conservative government of David Cameron is implementing a
£12 billion austery cut to almost all welfare benefits, and you can
see the effect in this report. This is a government report and it
states over 2,000 people claiming disability benefits have died
immediately after their benefits were cut. But it is in this
increasingly diminishing welfare pot that most migrants will also want
to dip in, meaning even more and more drastic cuts. Enforced poverty
amongst the poor will only give rise to right wing movements because
their campaign now is to blame immigrants for their suffering. This
is one of the reasons there is very little, or even non-existent,
support for the migrants in the UK. Here, it seems we are exporting
poverty from one part of the globe and dumping it on the poorest
communities in Europe. People have to begin to debate about the impact
of migration on the poor.
George Okello
Thousands of benefit claimants died after being declared 'fit for work'
The DWP reveals more than 2,000 people claiming benefits died in the
space of two years after being declared fit for work
Follow Thousands of welfare claimants have died within weeks of being
declared "fit for work" and taken off sickness benefits, Government
statistics have disclosed.
Campaigners called for an urgent inquiry after statistics released by
the Department for Work and Pensions disclosed that 2,380 people died
between December 2011 and February 2014 shortly after a work
capability assessment declared them able to work.
The DWP, which was ordered by the data watchdog to publish the
statistics, insisted "no causal link" could be drawn between benefits
status and the likelihood of dying as the individual causes of the
deaths were not recorded.
• The DWP accused of 'killing people'
However, the Government will face accusations of attempting to "bury
bad news" after officials chose to release the data on the day that
both immigration statists and the names of scores of new peerages were
announced.
Critics called for a rethink of the system used to decide whether
people can be moved from receiving Employment Support Allowance - the
replacement for Incapacity Benefit - to standard unemployment benefit,
meaning a £30 per week reduction in state help.
A DWP spokesman said: "We don't hold information on reason of death,
so no causal effect between a fit for work decision and death should
be assumed.
"The mortality rate of those who are claiming Jobseeker's Allowance -
which includes some of those found fit for work - is still lower than
for the general population.
"Furthermore, the overall trend shows the mortality rate for people
who have died while claiming an out-of-work benefit, has fallen over a
10-year period."
Shadow work and pensions minister Kate Green said: "These figures
should be a wake-up call for the Government.
• Even one death is too many? No it isn't. It's important to treat
people like numbers
"Ministers need to focus on sorting out the assessment process so that
everyone can have confidence in it, and providing support for disabled
people who can work in order to help them do so."
Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham said they were "shocking
figures that for the first time show the human cost of this
Government's punishing benefits regime".
"We now need an urgent national debate about these figures, and if
elected Leader I would call a full-day debate in Parliament at the
first available opportunity."
Follow @telegraphnews
--
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com or Abbey Semuwemba at: abbeysemuwemba@gmail.com.
While the world's attention is fixed on the migrant crisis, no body is
seriously thinking about the impact that unregulated migration will
have on the poor of Europe. All over Europe, governments have
implemented severe austerity cuts which have resulted in drastic
reductions in welfare benefits for the poor, disabled and the sick. In
the UK, the Conservative government of David Cameron is implementing a
£12 billion austery cut to almost all welfare benefits, and you can
see the effect in this report. This is a government report and it
states over 2,000 people claiming disability benefits have died
immediately after their benefits were cut. But it is in this
increasingly diminishing welfare pot that most migrants will also want
to dip in, meaning even more and more drastic cuts. Enforced poverty
amongst the poor will only give rise to right wing movements because
their campaign now is to blame immigrants for their suffering. This
is one of the reasons there is very little, or even non-existent,
support for the migrants in the UK. Here, it seems we are exporting
poverty from one part of the globe and dumping it on the poorest
communities in Europe. People have to begin to debate about the impact
of migration on the poor.
George Okello
Thousands of benefit claimants died after being declared 'fit for work'
The DWP reveals more than 2,000 people claiming benefits died in the
space of two years after being declared fit for work
Follow Thousands of welfare claimants have died within weeks of being
declared "fit for work" and taken off sickness benefits, Government
statistics have disclosed.
Campaigners called for an urgent inquiry after statistics released by
the Department for Work and Pensions disclosed that 2,380 people died
between December 2011 and February 2014 shortly after a work
capability assessment declared them able to work.
The DWP, which was ordered by the data watchdog to publish the
statistics, insisted "no causal link" could be drawn between benefits
status and the likelihood of dying as the individual causes of the
deaths were not recorded.
• The DWP accused of 'killing people'
However, the Government will face accusations of attempting to "bury
bad news" after officials chose to release the data on the day that
both immigration statists and the names of scores of new peerages were
announced.
Critics called for a rethink of the system used to decide whether
people can be moved from receiving Employment Support Allowance - the
replacement for Incapacity Benefit - to standard unemployment benefit,
meaning a £30 per week reduction in state help.
A DWP spokesman said: "We don't hold information on reason of death,
so no causal effect between a fit for work decision and death should
be assumed.
"The mortality rate of those who are claiming Jobseeker's Allowance -
which includes some of those found fit for work - is still lower than
for the general population.
"Furthermore, the overall trend shows the mortality rate for people
who have died while claiming an out-of-work benefit, has fallen over a
10-year period."
Shadow work and pensions minister Kate Green said: "These figures
should be a wake-up call for the Government.
• Even one death is too many? No it isn't. It's important to treat
people like numbers
"Ministers need to focus on sorting out the assessment process so that
everyone can have confidence in it, and providing support for disabled
people who can work in order to help them do so."
Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham said they were "shocking
figures that for the first time show the human cost of this
Government's punishing benefits regime".
"We now need an urgent national debate about these figures, and if
elected Leader I would call a full-day debate in Parliament at the
first available opportunity."
Follow @telegraphnews
--
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com or Abbey Semuwemba at: abbeysemuwemba@gmail.com.
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