I would think that everyone wants those who cannot work because they are incapacitated to receive financial support. I would think that everyone wants those who can work but who claim incapacity benefit falsely not to receive that support.
However, the previous Labour government tried to get people off such allowances and my experience as a local MP from surgery is that the ‘re-assessment’ of people claiming has been variable at best.
We need to be sure that there is no perverse incentive to determine that someone can work when they cannot. We also need to be sure that those carrying out the assessment are good at it.
Lynne Featherstone 
I don’t know if it would make much difference but I personally feel that we should all make our relevant MP’s know how we feel. I for one will be letting mine know albeit he is Labour!
@Suzy
I am in the most unfortunate position of having George Osborne as my MP and I am ashamed. Any suggestions would be welcome.
@ Oldtimer
Well that idea is up the “swanney” for you then that is dire having George as your MP, I now feel your pain!
Alistair Darling is mine – thankfully!
@ Oldtimer
Actually, in all honesty, if I were you, I would still write/email him and voice your concerns. It may fall upon “deaf ears” call me cynical but if enough people do start to voice concerns to MP’s then perhaps there may be a tiny glimmer of hope – who knows!
@ Suzy
OK, will give it a try but I won’t expect too much. I suppose a reply from his secretary would be something, however I suspect that the message will not even get to him. He was, after all elected to be my MP first and foremost. He was not elected to become Chancellor, but this seems to be what he considers to be his first priority.
@ Oldtimer
Interesting regarding what you say about Osborne’s Chancellor’s duties coming first.
What I can honestly say, hand on heart, is although my MP Alistair Darling was Chancellor, he ALWAYS took the time to write back to me on various issues I raised with him which actually surprised me but having met him also, I realised he really does care about people which makes me soooooooooo thankful he won his seat by an even higher majority this year.
I will definitely be writing to my MP on this. Lynne, we do not want a response to each individual comment, but we want this government to sack ATOS immediately and give all sick and disabled people the respect and dignity that they deserve, and not have their illnesses and disabilities “assessed” by this shambles of a company. It is solely a cost cutting exercise with no regard to people’s illnesses at all. People will die because of this, it has to stop. Danny Alexander is a disgrace, remember “” who is cheating who ” Danny, no I thought not . I, for one, will never, ever vote Liberal Democrat again in my entire life. You don’t really care do you Lynne and neither do your party. I SAY IT AGAIN PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE, but you and your party so obviously do not care. Once again Bianca I totally agree with your comments.
Even the man who designed this new assessment system has this weekend said that it has gone wrong. So who screwed it up?
@ Lynne
Completely agree re Danny Alexander. In fact the general populous of the Liberal Dems are now back tracking on everything they “stood for” pre election. This whole coalition farce makes me sick and I hope to god the back benchers of the Liberal Dems see sense and do NOT allow themselves to toe the party line and set aside their moral duties to the people who are now in the position of feeling they “elected” the wrong people !!!
I am guessing that Paul Gregg who is a PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS must be “wrong” as the Minister for Employment is still “pressing ahead”
The architect of a new benefits system has said radical changes must be made to avert serious problems for vulnerable people, according to reports.
Paul Gregg, Professor of Economics at the University of Bristol, told The Times serious adjustments are necessary before 2.5 million incapacity benefit claimants are moved onto the new employment and support allowance (ESA) in October.
In its current form, the system leaves large numbers of failed claimants to languish on jobseeker’s allowance with no prospect of work, he said.
Reflecting on perceived errors in the process, he told the paper: “To go ahead with these problems is not just ridiculous. It is, in fact, scary.”
All new claimants who would have sought incapacity benefit have had to apply for ESA since October 2008 – but according to the paper, thousands of vulnerable people with terminal cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and clinical depression had their applications declined and were told to look for work.
“Introducing the ESA system for new claimants in 2008 was effectively a pilot, and all the signals from the pilot are that a lot of adjustments need to be made,” Prof Gregg said.
“There are serious problems with putting people who failed the test but still have serious health or other issues straight onto jobseeker’s allowance, where there is no special help,” he added. “To start moving people who may have been on incapacity benefit for years straight onto jobseeker’s is ridiculous. Before wading into the stock, the system has to be right.”
The drive behind ESA is to focus on what people can do rather than what they cannot do, as a means of getting them back to work.
The process was previously condemned for failing the seriously ill and disabled. A joint report last year by Macmillan Cancer Support and Citizens Advice found people in hospital were wrongly refused ESA and noted cancer sufferers were being told they were fit for work when they were battling long-term effects of the disease.
But Chris Grayling, Minister for Employment, told the paper there would be no change to the timetabled plans. “We have to start helping those two and a half million people who’ve simply been left behind on the incapacity benefit,” he said.
Chris Grayling is doing the same devious thing that the New Labour folks did – pretending that it is helping people into work. You cannot help people into work unless you put them in the right group. Those who cannot work should be in the ‘support group.’ Those who are disabled but could do some work should be in the ‘work related activity’ group. But the government didn’t even wait for testing to finish before declaring that they wanted to make substantial savings – proving that they just want to save money by dumping disabled people onto job seeker’s allowance.
As for Danny Alexander, I agree with everybody else. I’d rather suffer the pain to come twice over than live with his conscience.
The Tell-Tale Heart:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/matthew-norman/matthew-norman-a-step-that-should-have-been-too-far-2013793.html
@ Tim
Taken from the Independent link you provide:-
“Consider his appeal to an employer when he applies for one of the precious few jobs available in his part of urban deprived east London, as he repeatedly has since the doctor who declared him unfit in 1997 had an epiphany and reversed his judgment. Now in his mid-40s, this man arrives for the interview, to stack Tesco shelves or wash dishes in a school kitchen, with a CV naturally tending towards the threadbare, and the first question is this: why haven’t you done a day’s work in a dozen years? At this point he must either explain that all those years ago he was declared incapable of work on psychiatric grounds – what a glorious tie-breaker in a crowded job market – or end the charade with a wryly resigned “I’ll get me coat”.
I cannot even begin to imagine what an employer would think of me given the fact that my last job was in the late 1990’s. What do I say? Of course I would have to tell the truth that I have a history of psychiatric problems since my early teens. I was attacked in the late 90’s which led to me being medically retired from work. I am bi-polar and I cannot guarantee that I would be able to work an entire week for you let alone get through a day as I cannot even guarantee my children that I would be able to take them to even as something as simple as the park tomorrow based on the fact I do NOT know what cycle my mood would be in.
I am honestly despairing as I am sure many others are also.
I will also add again, having studied Employment Law and the rights that are afforded to employees regarding unfair dismissal etcetera which come into force usually 1 year into employment, an employer would be crazy (perhaps even crazier than me – joke!) to take on someone with my history and believe you me, any employer out there is not going to take on someone with psychiatric history and especially with ongoing problems – no chance sunshine!
George Osborne has asked all government depts. to make plans for possible cuts of 40%, up from the original 25% revealed in the budget. Given that he has openly stated that some of the cuts can be avoided by greater welfare reform, can anyone else smell a rat when government heads start to complain?
I have e.mailed my MP with a link to this blog. I know writing a letter would be better but many of us may never get round to finishing a letter. I often find too much to say once I get started on a subject like this. So please, if you may not get round to finishing a letter…. e.mail NOW.
When I first found this blog I was so happy – and a bit annoyed at people having a go at Ms. Featherstone. Having read through every comment, and the rather final “not possible” comment, I feel more depressed than ever. I get the impression Ms.F has now moved on to another minority group !
In a way, I am fortunate as I have modest savings (over IS limit) to live on when the inevitable happens. I presume that will mean that when I lose my IB, I will not be entitled to anything, in which case I won’t have to do menial tasks or fall asleep on full time courses. On the other hand, that will no doubt mean I am all the more likely to get kicked off. I will simply disappear from the statistics ! What a bonus for the Condems.
The lot of you has got this wrong lets get all of us benefit cheats into Job Seekers Allowance then our MPs will be allowed to fiddle their expenses and get more money for them selves do you think our MPs give a sh—-t about the vunerable all they want is more money for them selves do not forget MPs are all very rich people I wonder if the could live on Job Seekers Allowance or IB allowance I eve wonder are they are in the same world as us were are the jobs for the vunerable I suggest all people with menal heath problems to become an MP as they are thick as sh—t I dont no how this NAZI GOVERMENT sleep at night because they are that EVIL
http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/start-the-esa-test
Online test which I passed but it does say that it would be up to the Assessor to decide or not obviously. It does give you an idea of what you will be dealing with. It tells you what to do if it is mental health.
@ Snowintrough
Not all MP’s are like this. Sadly there are some but seriously not all. I have met quite a few MP’s some I think are awful but others I think really do care and are fantastic.
Regarding the government hmmmmmmmmm I don’t trust any of them but the previous government, there really were people who cared, my MP being one of them.
I attended my second assessment yesterday. I was fortunate a friend was able to drive me and was present at the assessment, taking meticulous notes and I had all relevant documents.
What appalled me more than myself being there not six months after Crown Court Tribunal overruled the Jobcentre appeal decision to deny me benefits, and the fact that I was in a great deal of pain, was another woman also attending her second assessment.
She told her husband, “I don’t care what they say anymore, or what they do to me.” I said to the woman, “You must care. You must not give in.” She said, “I have cancer.” Then this woman who had been laughing previously started to cry. Just for a few seconds before she resumed talking and laughing as normal. But the tears were still in her voice.
This is purely criminal.
I rang Jobcentre to assure that I would receive the FULL report and not just the check list. (Last year I didn’t receive the full report until about a month before the Tribunal date though I requested it.) The woman at JC was very cheerful and said it would take about a week, then she laughed and said that I had been to my second assessment and not to worry I would be through.
What don’t I believe her?
Rather strange that things suddenly went quiet on this blog ?
Well my (Labour) MP replied…. appears to have no sympathy except for the terminally ill. With I had asked before the election…. no alternative but could have stayed in bed.
That’s all terrible Becca. Don’t know how you find the courage and determination to go on. Thinking about what is to come makes me more depressed than ever. Take heart from what the lady at the job centre said.
Alan. I suspect things may have gone quiet because Ms Featherstone’s contribution to her own blog has been minimal & her last response curt & lacking in every regard to the issue at hand.
It reminds me of the disability website the Tories set up then abandoned.
Speaks volumes doesn’t it?
That is so sad Becca 😦
Yeah, bonica, the Liberal Democrats now remind me of the townspeople in ‘High Plains Drifter,’ except that this is disabled people being whipped.
I really hope that the Lib Dem backbenchers see sense and realise just how the behaviour of their colleagues who have ministerial positions are seriously affecting the people they were elected to represent. Except this is the problem, the Lib Dems had the lowest amount of votes yet are now in power due to siding with the Tories and abandoning what they stand for.
We really need a vote of no confidence in order that the public can get back to the polls and vote for what we really want. I am sure there would be no “tactical” voting if we were given that chance. To think that we may be stuck with this coalition for 5 years, truly makes me despair 😦
The Lib Dems stupidly believed that by power sharing people would take them serious.Well people do as sell out’s and traitors.The Tories are using them to their own ends and the Lib Dems are either blind or stupid.
Even this proportional representation vote will back fire on them.People will hate them that much now that they will not vote for it.Cameron has already said he is against it and I bet the campaign will get dirty and they will all start slinging mud at each other any way.
No Lib Dems are making a stand in parliament on the Disabled or Unemployed peoples behalf.They watch as Noddy Clegg agrees to everything Cameron says.
They keep saying look at the mess Labour left us in when in reality it was a Global downturn and not a Local issue.They are acting like we are Greece with a very small Economy.What the Tories are doing is what they wanted to do for a long time.Put the poor in their place at the bottom of the heap being grateful for a food parcel from Ian Duncan Smith.Thatcher broke the Unions and now they want to finish us of.With a shield of respectability from the Lib Dems.
This will end in tears both for the Government and the Populace.Brixton and Toxteth will be small beer if this really kicks of.Maybe that’s what they want so they can do a Bloody Sunday on those that oppose them.The way they talk about us we are only half human anyway.Lazy scroungers that deserve nothing.
LYNNE, YOU ARE A TYPICAL POLITICIAN, JUST LIKE DANNY ALEXANDER, GO WITH THE FLOW & DO NOT CHALLENGE ANYTHING! THE CURRENT FLOW MAYBE BLUE & A COALITION GOVERNMENT BUT EVENTUALLY AN ELECTION IS CALLED & PEOPLE WITH HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEND YOU LIB DEMS PACKING. YES, I AM AWARE THE GORDON BROWN GOVERNMENT REPLACED INCAPACITY BENEFIT WITH ESA, IT HAS PROVEN TO BE ‘NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE’, BUT IT IS YOU IN A COALITION GOVERNMENT THAT WILL ROLL IT OUT TO THE PRE-EXISTING 2.5 MILLION PEOPLE ON INCAPACITY BENEFIT. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ANSWER EVERY COMMENT ON YOUR BLOG BUT ADDRESS THE ISSUE, THAT IS ONLT 1 IN 200 PEOPLE/0.5 % CLAIMING BENEFIT ARE DOING SO INCORRECTLY. THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO ACT, SHOW US YOU ARE NO DANNY ALEXANDER, HE GIVES POLITICIANS A BAD NAME, IT COMES DOWN TO TRUST.
FURTHER TO MY PREVIOUS MESSAGE, IT WAS REPORTED IN THE TIMES NEWSPAPER( SATURDAY 3RD JULY) FRONT PAGE, THAT AN IMPENDING CRISIS WILL OCCUR WHEN PEOPLE ARE MOVED OFF INCAPACITY BENEFIT. BRISTOL UNIVERSITY’S PROFESSOR PAUL GREGG, WHO HELPED DESIGN THE SYSTEM TO MOVE PEOPLE OFF INCAPACITY BENEFIT WARNED OF THIS CRISIS. MORE SUPPORT IS NEEDED FOR PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS WHO HAVE FAILED THE NEW TEST/WORK CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT, HE SAID.
THE ESA ROLL OUT WILL BEGIN IN ABERDEEN & BURNLEY FROM OCTOBER. WHY? THE SYSTEM IS ALREADY CHEATING PEOPLE OUT OF MONEY ELSEWHERE. BBC SCOTLAND SHOWED A PROGRAMME Who’s Cheating Who IT IS SHOWN IN 3 PARTS ON http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yop7L95Nyiu FOR ANYONE THAT HAS NOT SEEN IT. IF ANY OTHER PROGRAMME APPEARS ON BBC SCOTLAND, PEOPLE WITH SKY CAN WATCH IT ON SKY 990 OR WITHIN A WEEK ON BBC iplayer. A PRE-ELECTION DANNY ALEXANDER APPEARS, YOU WILL SEE HE PLAYED A DIFFERENT TUNE!
IF MY LINK TO YOU TUBE DOES NOT SEND YOU DIRECT TO THE PROGRAMME PLEASE JUST GO TO http://youtube.com & SEARCH Who’s Cheating Who-PART1/3
In the words of Bob Marley & devoted today to all politicians of hypocritical ilk:
You’re runing & you’re running & you’re running away, but you can’t run away from yourself.”
The coalition government budget is an identical copy of the successful Canadian austerity budget of the 1990’s. It is a typically simplistic view that one medicine cures all ailments, and is a perfect opportunity for a win – win for George. If it results in recession then it was a price that had to be paid due to the state of the finances, and if by some miracle it actually works then George goes down in history a hero. I once had an airfix kit for a u-boat, it wasn’t until it was totally beyond repair that I realised that I was using the assembly instructions for a B-52. That’s how I view this coalition. They’re too busy gluing everything together that they’ve forgotten what they’re actually there for, and for that matter that people and their welfare should take precedence over career aspirations.
@ Nick
They [Lib Dems) (well majority of them – the one’s who have POWER that is) are all dancing to a different tune now – the Tory Tune!!! Look at Danny Alexander and Nick Clegg – both “nodding head dogs” for David Cameron and George Osborne – they make me sick!
@ Terry
Danny Alexander is nothing but a fool who has been shown to be a cheap, pathetic, liar who was easily “bought off” by the Tories!
What really sticks in my throat is the lies and deceit. I believe that the general public would abhor the persecution of the sick and disabled if they were told the truth of what is ACTUALLY happening. Instead, the government hides behind a tissue of lies and half-truths perpetuating the myth and the illusion that the most vulnerable are being protected, ably aided and abetted by the right wing press under the banner of “scroungers”. Tell me, when has a man with a cancerous brain tumour and limited life expectancy either been A. a scrounger, or B. not vulnerable. This is a typical example of how the system is “rigged” to deny assistance to those that most need it, and at a time when they are least able to help themselves. This is not about welfare reform, it’s a cull of the weakest in society, the easy targets, and next it will be the pensioners to face the guillotine. I think that the coalition need to look closer to home for the real “scroungers”. A leopard never changes it’s spots.
Yes Suzy, I think you’re right when you say “Danny Alexander and Nick Clegg – both “nodding head dogs” for David Cameron and George Osborne”. That said, I thought Clegg looked positively uncomfortable yesterday during PM’s questions when Cameron used throwaway comments like ” a lot of them were foreigners and shouldn’t have been here in the first place” (in response to high crime rates) and also the cheap joke (a speciality of Cameron) and dig at the expense of CND and past protestors at Greenham Common. It will be interesting to see how influential the LibDems will be when the review of defence spending comes round. It’s already well known that Cameron doesn’t want Trident to be included in the review, and yet LibDems such as Lynne Featherstone are on record as beeing strongly against Trident. Also, Clegg’s own estimate of maintaining Trident is £100+ billion , so here’s an excellent way of reducing future spending. That £100 billion in addition to the £80 billion deficit due to the banks’ “misfortune” is far in excess of the current deficit that we are all being blamed for; remember, Lynne said we have all been irresponsible personally! Sorry if the last bit is “harsh” – just trying to get you to engage Lynne …
@ Carl
Having watched PM question times quite a few times now since the coalition has been formed, I personally believe Nick Clegg has looked uncomfortable most of the time. I personally believe he is now wondering “what on earth have I done…………”! I may be wrong but it is the opinion I have formed.
Regarding Trident, I am not sure where I stand on that actually. I cannot off the top of my head remember the figures for doing away with Trident but that said, I do believe that Trident is a deterrent. I hope and pray that we would never need Trident but I do believe if we “did away” with it then we would be a potential “soft target” from countries such as Iran etcetera.
@ Carl
Oh, here is my “cheap joke” in respect of Cameron – can that man get anymore orange? I swear he is an oversized version of an Oompa Loompa :o)
Suzy, my point about Trident wasn’t so much about what you or I think about it but rather the extent to which Lib Dems such as Lynne and Clegg will remain faithful to their previously held beliefs; in the past both have voiced strong opposition against Trident. I now wonder to what extent they will maintain their stance ? For sure they will never be able to say that they’ve changed their minds because of the state of the economy because renewing Trident would be an additional massive drain on the economy; pre-elections Clegg estimated £100+ billion. That’s an awful lot of new hospitals and schools …
@ Carl
I think I went off on my own little tangent re Trident :o)
Personally, I doubt very much that the Lib Dems will maintain their stance in relation to Trident.
Regarding new hospitals/schools etcetera – on a smaller scale here in Edinburgh down to the Lib Dems/SNP coalition we have the fiasco of the trams which has now cost around £375 million – that would have paid for a heck of a lot more services to NHS and education up here – it is scandalous and come the local council elections in 2012 the Lib Dems and SNP will be made to pay for what they have done up here.
Some of the later comments on this blog are drifting off topic. If we really all want Lynne to back our specific cause, and if we are all genuine IB/ESA claimants or close to someone who is, then abusive and off-topic comments just won’t help. We’ll just be seen as a bunch of random disaffected voters who didn’t want the coalition and the impact of those who have genuine grievances will be lost.
IMO we would be even worse off if the Gov was solely Con. and we had no-one like Lynne or other Lib-Dems to support us. The overall fact that the Lib-Dems do not appear to have much clout in the coalition is not going to get fixed here. Please stay on topic and keep banging home the point that the inadequate ATOS organisation and the impacts of their bad decisions is costing far, far more than the tiny minority of renegade claimants.
Jenny, I guess I am one of the people who has wandered off the specifc topic and I apologise if you think this inappropriate. But what I would say is that if you think all of the topics discussed recently, such as the budget, assessing incapacity and funding for schools are all separate subjects that are each approached and discussed separately then I would have to disagree. The Coalition Government is moving at an alarming speed and underlying everything they do is a predictable Tory ideology – and we can forget the notion of a new breed of caring Tories. The Lib Dems might have got a few concessions but even these have been compromised; AV not PR for example.
I am also guilty of going off topic Jenny but I have to agree with Carl. It is terrifying how quickly this coalition government is moving in ALL areas and unfortunately, as I said earlier, the Lib Dems, in my opinion, are merely “nodding head dogs” to the Tories in general :o(
@ Jenny
Can I also just add that I personally feel we would have been much better with a minority government of just Conservative as then people like Lynne, Clegg et al would have stayed true to themselves and the public who voted for them instead of selling “us” out!
Just a small point – in reply to Jenny’s comment “IMO we would be even worse off if the Gov was solely Con.”
Maybe, but maybe not – certainly understand your point, but we may have been better off with the Libdems in opposition. Then they would be speaking out against these cuts. Labour are sitting back and licking their wounds and not doing anything. Their best bet is that the Condems make a really mess of everything, and Labour can triumphantly come back and save us. So the Conservatives have no opposition. They have the LibDems in their pocket and Labour are away sulking. We are doomed.
I agree that we should keep on topic JennyFletcher. However, when people feel they & their cause have been abandoned they’re inclined to react somewhere between being a bit miffed & downright incensed before getting back on topic.
Lynne Featherstone’s re-appearance on HER OWN BLOG & some positive input/feedback could have averted much of the discontent expressed here & kept things on topic to boot.
Responsibility to keep discussions/topics on track works both ways don’t you think? You don’t start a blog on something then b****r off! That’s both irresponsible & disrespectful.
@ Bonica
I am guessing perhaps Lynne finds our comments “harsh” as she did state on the Political Blog Topic that the comments were a bit “harsh” !
Harsh comments or not, it’s the truth. As I have stated in an earlier post, having a brain tumour is harsh particularly when you are “financially punished” as well. This situation will not lie dormant forever, someone will eventually blow the whistle and then watch them all duck and dive and run for cover. It’s not IF, it’s WHEN.
Thanks Julie P for the timely reminder that our feelings are not seperate from the topic. I wrote in haste but it was by no means an apology.
What the coalition are doing, is as you described, “obscene” & it has to be fought vigorously to stop it coming to fruition.
http://carerwatch.com/ are doing just that.
We have been here before. 2yrs ago (& still ongoing) with ESA & ATOS, last year with DLA & in 1997 under Labours guise of “Benefits Integrity Measures.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/politics/64086.stm
Now the Tories & Lib Dems are carrying the same torch but with a more savage & tenacious intent.
Politicians of all persuasions should remember how long & hard disabled people & their supporters have fought for some measure of their human-rights to be recognised & enshrined in law.
They would do well to take off their hob-nail boots, put their feet up & read this with some humility & compassion:
“Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970: 40th Anniversary — Debate:”
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2010-06-17a.1123.4&s=speaker%3A13039#g1130.0
Personally I know I will get very depressed and even suicidal when I have to start dealing with “authority”. I can’t cope with interviews etc where people don’t listen to what is being said.
Last night I saw a friend who has a 15 year history of drug abuse (due to an horrific incidence in her teens). She had recently sorted her life out, which lead to her IB & IS being stopped, so she was evicted as she built up rent arrears and had to squat at friends etc.
So she went back on drugs, a drug agency got her back on IB & IS, and have arranged a house for her. This week they took her out and bought her everything she needs for the house, all brand new. She also applied for a crisis loan telling the DWP she had to furnish her new house. She was told it would take a month to come though, yet she gets the money today, within a week of applying. That’s going on clothes,and drugs. She has been told she will be left alone as far as her benefits go as long as she is using drugs, as the authorities realise that drug and alcohol abusers have chaotic lives and can’t be expected to work, attend courses etc.
So there is the answer !
Although it goes against a lifetimes principles I paid a visit to the official Tory website yesterday. Can you believe that they run an up to the minute yougov poll, and yesterday the LibDems were running at 15%, that’s a drop of around 20% from the days just prior to the general election. If you lie with dogs…..?
IDS knows that people with cancer, MS, Parkinsons etc are failing the WCA, but says that although it’s Labour’s system he has benevolently “tweaked” (his words) the assessment. So we can anticipate less people failing the test then?