Man refused benefits dies of starvation

[2old2beamum]

A 44 year od man with mental health issues, aspergers and OCD deemed capable of work has benefits reduced to £40/week dies and has a BMI of just over 11. I weep with shame.

Edwina is Satan's bitch.

It isn't written into their contract at all Parsing and precisely why GPs have to charge for providing such letters. £10 is a lot to some poor sod who has been unfairly sanctioned.

I agree with you vicar, even though it seems fair fetched, but even higher pension ages etc (will affect working poor too) I think they hope people will die before retirement

From Pulse magazine, 2013:

"Contractually, GPs are required to fill out Further Medical Evidence requests from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) which inform assessments for benefits."

Article goes onto explain that it's the continual demand for additional letters, for appeals, or to feed the constant reassessment, that's the problem.

Illuminating discussion about it here from 2010: Rightsnet: DWP guidance to GPs on providing medical reports

Further links on that page unfortunately now out of date, but it helpfully quotes DWP FAQs for GPs:

"Q: A patient has asked for a report to support his appeal after having his Incapacity Benefit withdrawn. Do their GP have to provide a report?"

"A: No. GPs, as certifying medical practitioners, have a statutory obligation to provide statements of incapacity to patients on their list and certain information to a healthcare professional working for Atos Healthcare on behalf of DWP when requested. However, under their NHS contract there is no requirement for GPs to provide reports or offer an opinion on incapacity for work to anyone else unless requested to do so by Jobcentre Plus.

"Claimants should contact Jobcentre Plus or the Appeals Service, where appropriate, if they think that further medical evidence is necessary to support their claim or appeal. They should state clearly their reasons for believing that further evidence is necessary.

"If Jobcentre Plus or the Appeals Service consider that further medical evidence is necessary, they will seek it. They will be responsible for paying any fee to the doctor providing the report.

"So NHS GPs are under no obligation to provide such evidence to their patients nor to provide it free of charge. If a GP does not agree to provide additional evidence for their patient then it is a private matter to be resolved between the GP and their patient."

So DWP/ATOS fail to ask GP for report.

Patient tries to get report from GP privately.

DWP guidance tells GP to tell patient to ask DWP/ATOS to acquire the report.

DWP/ATOS fail to ask GP for report.

JobCentre Plus = DWP, of course

DWP guidance tells GP to tell patient to ask DWP/ATOS to acquire the report.

I wouldn't like to have to explain that to someone with sequencing problems

The whole system is totally rubbish. For instance, the applications for benfits are made to the DWP, your nedical certificates must be sent to the DWP, your assessment forms have to be sent to ATOS - who hopefully have seen your medical certs don't count on it.

Surely there must be a better way - say 2 local GPs assessing you?

I don't have a problem with proper, independent assessments by the DWP. I've been having them since 2003 - well before ATOS and the welfare restructuring.

But they have to be at realistic intervals and be a genuine attempt to realistically assess who is unlikely to be able to earn their living because of disability.

GPs have long been required to do reports to support DWP assessment: it's the huge increase that's the problem. And that's caused by over-testing, changing of thresholds and plain old wrong decisions.

You still have to pay for the letters. My DM did every time. Pray tell? When is someone like Wood meant to find the £10 pounds out of his £40 a week as well has pay gas electricity tv license and that's before food.