Cancer patients to face back to work interviews.

[wubblybubbly]

I'm posting this because it's not in the news, totally unreported so far as I can see.

www.macmillan.org.uk/Aboutus/News/Latest_News/DWPproposestoforcechemotherapypatientstoundergostressfulbenefitchecks.aspx

Honestly, thanks to Dave and Gideon, otherwise these scrounging layabouts would be living on our handouts. Some of them are so bloody lazy they're actually dying just to avoid doing a honest day's work.

I took your message and ran with it, WB

My frazzled chemo brain used to be able to do clever things like that AF, now stringing a sentence together is like a task from krypton factor.

< doubts that >

anyway, shouldn't you be doing the night shift, down t'pit, WB ?

you bludger

Indeed AF, but some bugger closed 'em all down a few years back.

typical

go up a chimney ?

has your illness made you skinny enough ?

(tell me if I am pushing this too far)

lol, no it's made me fat, all this sitting on my arse! I tell you, it's the life of riley this cancer lark.

ok, I'm out. You have the last word. Even I couldn't think of a comeback to that one (even a faux-jokey one)

< hands WB the last-word badge >

I'm wondering whether MS patients will have to do this as well. How long do we have until the next general election??

Thanks AF

In all seriousness, this doesn't affect me or even many of my friends with cancer but that is besides the point.

I think it reflects upon us all and the type of society we want to have. I keep thinking the coalition can no longer surprise me, but I admit, this has shocked me. I think it proves there is no limit to their bastardness. I never thought they would stoop so low.

So much for them supporting the vulnerable in society. Another election promise they broke.

Yes, there appears to be no limit to their pocket-lining ways

I'll be applying for jobs as a cocktail shaker then . I wonder how someone would go about a vote of no confidence?

Don't give them ideas Belle

How much longer do we have to put up with them? Seriously.

May 2015 or something. Didn't they bring in fixed term parliaments? Not sure what it would take to shift them before then.

They were talking about it but talk's cheap. I don't think I can wait that long. I may move abroard and come back in May 2015 so I can vote. I'm so grateful to Emily Pankhurst and the others.

What gets me is that this is going through without a whisper from the press, so far as I can tell. It's disgraceful that the government are behaving like this, it would surely cause outrage in the general public, but nothing.

It makes me wonder what else goes on that doesn't reach the ears of us plebs.

Twitter's very useful for leaking information. Hold on a jiffy.

I have a long standing medical problem which has kept me from my work for months.

ATOS - the company that carry out these assessments have found me as being fit for work and denied me ESA.

Which is laughable as my work occupational therapy assessment found me unfit for work and dismissed me.

And guess which company they used for the OT assessment?

Yup, ATOS!!

Also when I went for my ESA assessment, there is no disabled access in the centre!!! WTAF??

The whole system is corrupt and needs a complete overhaul. and David Cameron and his cronies need shooting for the way disabled and sick people are being treated.

I'd like to supergue them to a wheelchair/crutches etc for a week to see how they manage.

I'm self employed, it was the only way I could take time off when I need to rest.

Oh yes, and signed of course.

Yes, just so they know how hard it is to live off benefits. I doubt they have a clue. I may have accidently tweeted the link to the Macmillan site to the Guardian Newspaper. Doh!

Avadadvent you're not the first person found simultaneously fit for work and not fit for work by ATOS (who got paid each time).

And they're breaking the law not having disabled access.

I believe there have been some attempts to take the DWP or ATOS to court for this, as it's a well-known problem, but afraid I don't know what the result was. If you have the energy, you could try finding out more from local disability advice groups or Benefits and Work Forum.

I'd love to march them to court for all this stuff, but I was too ill to do this last time they put me through it.

This is appalling. :(

I thought I should mention, the ATOS centre in this city don't have proper disabled access either. They do have a lift but you have to first go up some stairs to get to it.

doesn't* not don't.