17 towns and cities see action against Atos' Work Capacity Assessment

Protest Against Benefits Cuts: Atos is targeted in protests because of claims of the way it treats disabled and sick people

Seventeen towns and cities around the UK are seeing protests today (Friday, September 17) against Atos, the IT company responsible for carrying out the coalition government’s Work Capability Assessment.

As part of a National Day of Action Against Atos, organised by disability, claimant and anti-cuts activists, people will be gathering outside Atos’ offices in Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Brighton, Chatham, Cheshire, Birmingham, Glasgow, Hastings, Norwich, Oxford, Bristol, Chester, Plymouth, Sheffield and York.

In London a demonstration is being held outside the BMJ Careers Fair where Atos is exhibiting in an attempt to recruit doctors to work on their Disability Assessment teams.

Thousands of people have been denied or stripped of vital benefit because of decisions made based on Atos’ assessment procedure which involves a short interview and a computer based test. Many people have had conditions worsened, either by being forced into the workplace, having much needed money withdrawn or the stress of the assessment process, which has been described as relentless.

Sadly some have taken their own lives after hearing of Atos and the DWP’s decisions to remove their benefits. Even people with cancer and other terminal illnesses have been deemed ‘fit for work’. The government has pledged that this form of testing will be extended to all disability and health related benefits.

This week over one hundred groups and individuals signed a letter to the BMJ and the RCN urging them to stop allowing Atos to recruit at their events and in their publications:

An online protest will see companies and organisations which do business with Atos contacted and informed of this company’s ‘callous and cruel’ treatment of disabled and sick people.

Supporters of Disabled People Against Cuts have said: “As long as Atos continues to treat disabled claimants little better than animals they will continue to protest against them and seek means to discredit them.”

• Plymouth Claimants Union has organised a protest outside Atos’ Plymouth office, Argosy House, Marsh Mills, Plymouth from 11am

(from a press release)

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