[Able Scribe]

Will Chris Grayling please explain to us his reasons for rejigging social legislation to serve the interests of an exclusive club? It all leads to one thing: we are left out in the cold.

[ebonycat]

Mr Grayling

Consider ,some may think that Government and Atos not addressing thier deficiet in the assessment process in not recognising particular stresses and issues faced by the Mentally ill as inhumane and degrading treatment. Is Legal aid available for Human Rights remedies? And does the Government support those rights of the Mentally ill?The right to a family life and freedom from inhumane and degrading treatments in particular. I consider it inhumane to force a group of society to find work given the levels of prejudice and stigma and discrimination in that society make it impossible for them to do so. Money allocated under incapacity benefits and income support is legally defined as "enough to live on" by consequence ESA is not as it is set at a lower benefit rate forcing people into deeper poverty and the added stress is inhumane treatment.

[Skeptical]

I am curious, does the minister not think that there is a conflict of interest, if Atos origin along with its partner Pinnacle People and Shaw Trust, aqquire contracts for the Provision of Employment Related Support Services. As medicals will be in essence drumming up business for this partnership to profit by?

[Bub]

Mr Grayling

Are you aware of the summary submitted by a disabled veteran regarding the unacceptable clinical practice by ATOS medical staff?

Her report demonstrates that "Atos Healthcare is successfully running disability denial factories in the UK, funded by the DWP, and identical to those used in America. There is nothing in place to stop them and all evidence that challenges AH medical report or conclusions will be resisted. Patients/claimants have no protection. There are countless numbers of distressing stories available of genuine patients being traumatised following a visit to these government funded medical assessment centres, where no actual medical evaluation will be undertaken other than a seriously flawed computerised tick test.

The permitted activities of this private contractor are dangerous and, without medical supervision, the chronically sick and disabled people of this nation remain in jeopardy. It's not enough that these victims endure such shocking treatment by this contractor but they are also placed under intolerable additional pressure, with the constant threat that their financial support will be removed, without warning, because the DWP want to save cash and the sick and disabled people of this country make very easy targets. The very detailed research report has been accepted by Professor Harrington as evidence for his independent inquiry."

What is your response to this and how are you going to deal with the particular ATOS staff who are the real ones guilty of fraud?

[scrambledeggs]

Hi mr Grayling,i have a few questions that i hope you can answer.
my first question is about all these cuts in the health service
first of all i know that your top priority is probably saving
money because of all the buildings that have been knocked
down or sold off, i have to say in my own experiance there was
not one building that i used that was not touched, subsequently
my services are now based in a basement at a health clinic
(we call it the dungeon)yes it really is that scary and i am
sure alot of people prefer the prior building which was designed
for our specific needs and was also a drop in point and a place of
refuge for us all. i guess cuts go deeper than you think. all
of us mentally ill folk have a right to be angry, lots of us
relied on these services and now they are not there, i am sure
i speak for alot of people when i say we have been robbed.
now what i want to ask is what are you or the goverment
going to do about those people that don't like the new facilities
including the mental hospitals that are on loan from england
and places like "the dungeon" that people are afraid of
going into like me?, especially when they are unstable
and not capable of holding down a job.
what can you say to reassure the mentally ill that there services
will not be cut further? and if there are further cuts how will
mental health in scotland manage to cope? will there always be
somewhere to go?, somewhere safe?,a place we can trust for the
best care?

o.k. now i would like to ask a few questions about benefits.
firstly, what i know is very limited, i don't know what ESA is
or PIP that the others talk about, but yes i do get DLA and i
have recentely filled in my form. what i would like to know
is, when someone like myself has periods of good spells and
bad spells, i am schizophrenic if you must know, how do you
manage to get us off of benefit's and working or something
volluntary work?, i myself keep trying when i feel better i
will definetely try even though it is difficult but how
do you think we can cope with a nine to five job when
half of us can't even get a proper haircut or shave or
whatever, i mean the medication i take has a sedative
effect and i get tired through out the day where i
struggle to keep my eyes open.what are you and the government
going to do to help and encourage the mentally ill to do something?
does everyone benefit from going to work? what are the benefits?
what would happen if you got a job and then became unwell shortly
after? would you lose benefits? how can it help recovery of the
mentally unwell?
i remember the government bullied me to go to the job centre
why does the government bully the mentally ill into work?
Are you in favour of cuts to the benefits system and if so
what would you do?

thankyou for your time Mr Grayling and have a nice day

signed, eggy

[I am an Aardvark]

I'm trying not to worry, I'm trying my best to not think about or to focus on the future too much. & just take things as they come; & one day at a time. To cross bridges as I come to them.

My condition is very much linked to stress. I have enough concerns & stresses as it is; & I'm too unwell to currently work. It takes a lot of personal effort for me to remain stable. I do have concerns that my housing may be in jeopardy; & the ability to be able to remain stable & be able to look after myself as best that I can.

I've been really trying not to; but it's very hard not to be thinking about what to do in certain scenarios.

I walked past the 'Shelter' offices earlier today; years ago I once used their services for advice; I hope that I don't have to use them again?

Given too much stress I could become severely unwell again; & I really don't want that. I'd do anything to stop that happening. Given I have a past of crime, drug use & severe mental health difficulties - I wonder what it's going to cost in services if I end up ill & in hospital again?

& I'm just one person - it's a story that could well be multiplied countless thousands of times. It seems like a false economy to me - especially in the potential personal & social cost; not to mention monetary costs. I was an expensive agent in the past - crime, addiction, court appearances, hospitalisations. I must have saved the government many thousands by being stable & in recovery for the past 9 years. & they now want to jeopardise that!

Hopefully things will work out & I'll be able to continue to progress & recover.

I'd like to be well enough & eventually supported into work - But there is so very very little in the way of any practical support from society or services. I don't know how people like us are meant to manage & cope? I suppose that most don't.

[lisa1cares]

Dear minister
I have been sat here watching this thread for a few days now wondering if I should reply or not. so first you will need a little back ground to understand my questions better then I will need to rant at you sorry but I can't help it, If I don't rant at someone that I feel right no is responsible for making me more ill soon I think I might just crack up. I am 30 years old and have been in the mental health system since I was 10, I was placed into prestwich mental health unit at the age of 13 years old. My mum fought for 9 years to get me help and no one would listen to her. Because of this experience I now have this constant paranoia that none of the doctors believe a word I say. I have many labels including bipolar, Dissociative identity disorder with paranoia and suicidal tendencies and borderline personality disorder. I hate CPN service locally because the last one I had mad out that I was a bad mother (I have never and would never hurt or neglect my children) put me down all the time and even told me that my menstrual cycle pain was in my head and I was just addicted to pain kills and she even had me thinking the same, funny that as my gynaecologist who I now have to see regular doesn't think its in my head, this CPN was more like my partners nurse not mine. I am currently of the thinking that the doctors never give me real tablets they are fake ones just to test me see if I am lying, and got so sick to death of having a new consultant every 3-6 months I totally gave up on them I would rather end it now then have to go over the same stuff over and over and over again. I have 4 children one of which is showing clear signs of mental health issues yet the services are still as rubbish now as they was back when I was her age. sorry if none of this makes sense at all but only having had about 12 hours sleep in the last ten days it can make it very hard to think straight. If you want to know why I have not sleep its because of these stupid reforms. I don't get ESA my partner works but I do get DLA and that little money means the world to me and apart from my kids its the only thing I have in this world. I sometimes get strange thoughts to do things even when I am not depressed like open the car door and throw myself out. Half of what I am saying I will not even tell my doctor because of the reason I already stated. My partner used to have a well paid job but when I started getting very ill again and then our daughter started with a lung condition he had to give his well paid job up. We lived on benefits for all of 9 months and then he became a postman that fitted better in with our family problems. I will give you questions on this soon I am going to take a short break and try and relax before I break down in tears yet again.

so here are some questions for you

1. what support systems are being put into place to help the mentally ill back to work ? please give straight answers going around the houses and back again will only add to my stress

2. do you think that treating/supporting mentally ill children (as a proven fact) and better helping them when they are young, will help them get a job and be able to function better in society once they are adults ?
2.a if yes what is being put in place to help them ?

3, why is it many people are better off on full benefits then working ? again fact my family is £500+ a month worse off.

4. how are you going to tackle stigma against the mentally ill so we can get jobs ?
even more so after the reforms are making us all look like scroungers.

5. seeing how taking us off benefits is not going to make us any less disabled how are you then going to help us?

6. why is it a family in my situation that is better off on full benefits then my family is are able to get free school meals? yet we have to pay £38 a week for our children's

7. how is the DWP going to support our troops that are sent home injured and mentally traumatised back into work because they are no longer healthy enough for the army ??

8. If I got a job and lost my temper because of my illness and broke something and ended up getting fired would I be entitled to benefits??

9. If I did loss my temper would I put in prison ??
9a. if yes how are the government going to support me well I am in prison?
9b. If no then am I not sane enough to be sent to prison because of my mental health?
9ba. If I am not sane enough for prison how can I be fit to go out to work?


10. have you see the status update that is spreading across facebook and do you think that its right that people are made to feel like this just because they are sick, disabled or mentally ill?
10a. are the percentages really true?
10b. if they are true then are those 93% and 25% illegally claiming benefits ??
10c. If I am fit for work and illegally claiming benefits will I go to prison?
please see questions 9a 9b and 9ba and answer that in the context of question 10c thank you
10d. If it is not true then what is the percentage of people that you want to remove from these benefits and still answer the above question but in the form of the percentages that you quote now please?

and if your have not seen it minister of the DWP here is whats on facebook for you thank you
IF YOU CARE ABOUT THE DISABLED PLEASE CHANGE YOUR STATUS TO THIS:
Dear David Cameron, As your having ATOS make 93% of people that are on ESA fit for work and 25% off DISABILITY LIVING ALLOWANCE, we ask you : could you please PRESS THE MAGIC BUTTON YOU HAVE that is going to cure all the disabled, sick and mental ill NOW please as they really don't want to wait for this amazing cure you have !

that's all the questions I have right now but I am sure I will have more soon. thank you for listening and hopefully you can answer all the above for me as it would help with the stress that is impacting massively on my illnesses thank you

edit because of massive typo to tired for this *sigh*

[lisa1cares]

rethink this is just to let you know that all the above is totally relevant to me being able to go back to work. thank you

[lisa1cares]

ok more questions for you

1.If a solider is discharged from the army for PTSD because he is medically unfit and goes to claim ESA will he then still be classed as fit for work by the DWP?
1a. if yes how can he be fit for work when he was discharged from the army for being unfit for work?
2b. if no how can someone with PTSD not be fit for work when so many others the same as him or even worse then him be classed as fit for work?

thank you I will have more questions yet

[lisa1cares]

another question for you

do you not think this is victimising the sick,disabled, mental ill and there care givers ?
and as it clearly states under Equality Act 2010 that you are not allowed to victimise anyone that you employ and as the DWP employ carers is this not covered under the act or are the DWP/government exempt in some way ??

[batman]

There are various figures bandied about but it seems that 91% of sick and disabled people will be pushed of benefits, how can this figure be known before we have been assessed? so it would seem this figure is indeed a target that must be met, ATOS are more than happy to lie in order to meet this ridiculus target. We are not being assessed fairly. The soft ware lima is also flawed as it interprets what the health care worker put in. You cannot know in advance that such a huge number of us are recieving the benefit by fraud. It would seem that no matter how ill or disabled we are we stand little chance of recieving the help we need. You simply want to dismantle the welfare state. Where are all these jobs we can do when even the fit and healthy cant get work??

[loula]

Lisa my heart goes out to you ..I have always managed to run away for being committed since I was 11. I had no parenting whatsoever ..I have never received anyone help ..I was the same as you bipolar .paranoid etc I dont have a cpn or dla ...I have been sacked from every job I have ever had ......CPNs are mostly lazy and useless they end up making people feel worse but still get a nice wage ,

[lisa1cares]

loula Thank you but I am very lucky that I have always had good parents that helped me and a loving partner to help me though the rough times such as now.

and here is a few more questions for you
seeing as people that have parkinsons disease often have mental health problems due to a number of facts one lack of dopamine makes you sad as it is one of the chemicals needed to lift peoples moods, I ask these questions on behalf of these people.

1. do you think people with parkinsons disease are fit for work?
1a. if yes at what point would they no longer be fit for work?
1b. if no then why are so many being turned down in ESA ?

2. Do you fully understand the mental state of people that have such disease's?

3. are you aware of the side effects that come with the medications used to treat parkinsons disease?
3a. If you are aware then you will understand that no matter what stage the parkinsons is at the mental health problems caused by medications dramatic effects there ability to work and function and if so are these people fit for work?
3b. If your not aware how can you even think about sending them back to work when you have no understanding of the full impact this will have on both their physical and mental health?

4. Do you think its ok that people that have parkinsons disease because of the multi vaccinations given to them when sent to the Falklands war (proven fact)are forced back to work by a government who made them sick in the first place?
4a. if no, is that not prejudiced against all other sick/disabled people ?
4b. if yes, I really do not know how you sleep at night sending such sick and disabled people back to work when your government made them ill in the first place.

5. Do you know that stress can exacerbate the symptoms of parkinsons disease thus making the person more ill?
5a. if yes why are you not excluding some medical conditions from having the assessment?
5b. If you are going to exclude some medical conditions from the assessment's, are you going to exclude some mental health conditions as well? If not is this not prejudiced to those that are long term severally mentally ill?
5c. If no how can you say that everyone needs to have an assessment when you don't have all the facts?

thank you

[lisa1cares]

more questions for you minister

1. is it true that ATOS that are doing these medical assessments are getting £300 for every person they claim is medically fit for work?
1a. if they are getting £300 for making people medically fit are they also getting £300 for saying they are not fit?

2. are ATOS fully reading peoples medical files?
2a. If not then how can they judge if someone who is mental ill is fit for work?
2b. if yes then why are they not fully taking medical records into account for those that are mentally ill?

3. if someone feels that the person at ATOS is discriminating and being prejudiced against them can they put in a complaint about that person?
3.a if yes how can you put in a complaint about someone when they will not even give you their name?
3b. if no, do you think its right that someone can get away with discriminating and being prejudiced ?
3c. Do you think its right that we should be able to pursue cases of ATOS discriminating and being prejudiced against the mentally ill?

I will have more questions for you soon minister thank you for listening

[mel]

I am on JSA so a 'jobseeker' though I have a mental health disability in that I have recurrent psychosis/depression and I think it is almost certain I will be unemployed for the remaining six years before I become 66 and can receive a pension.

Obviously I am not going to get a job if I say the psychosis word in a cv, application form or at an interview but it's pretty obvious from my cv that something has happened during the past 12 years even if I don't mention any kind of mental health problem. And voluntary work with mental health groups, outside interests of mental health, reasons for leaving work through ill health, all together with my age (60 this year) mean that the work market is hardly somewhere easy to 'succeed' even if I keep my recovery going.

Maybe I could accept this and be resigned to maybe obtaining some more part-time work with voluntary agencies (the last one ended because of cuts to local and central government funding) but even if I do, the situation is hardly good. I get £5 extra benefit a week (eg housing) when doing part-time work when I might pay more than £10 a week in extra transport costs (as happened with the last one). Meanwhile the Jobcentre employees, the 'new deal' agencies and their employees and, I expect, whoever will administer the coming work proramme are woefully ignorant of mental health issues and unwilling to make concessions with respect to my disability unless I make a big fuss and even then, if I complain, the complaints system is atrocious.

As if this were not enough, there now seem to be plans to cut housing benefit for JSA receivers of more than a year. Of course I will be able to appeal and make a fuss but I am pretty sure I will be faced once again by the same ignorant employees and complicated rules that have no bearing on the reality of people with mental health problems who appear for the most time healthy but have recurrent episodes when they are medically ill but see themselves as still being well, that being the nature of the disability. And this includes people like me in an ag groupwhich one year before would have been entitled to pension/pension credits/bus pass/heating allowance etc etc ... but now, get none of this and are instead facing this threatened cut in their housing benefit.

I have got no problem with cuts and benefit changes that are fair and I can think of lots of ways of making the labour market fairer for people like me and for making new deal and other work programmes fairer and more relevant for people like me. And threats about cuts in housing benefit etc are no good for stress levels which can often be the cause of episodes of illness.

Instead of trying to lessen the amount of discrimination against people with mental health disabilities, which is surely what a government department concerned with work should be doing, you threaten me and people like me with a bleak future of appeals through ignorant and discriminatory employees and rules in what looks to me like a vindictive campaign against people on benefits because you think it will win you votes with that part of the population which tends to regard all people on benefits as frauds and who often have similar ignorant views about mental health issues.

[Partly-Sunny]

Dear Mr Grayling,
i was aware that you were invited to meet with the people of Dundee alongside your fellow MP, Iain Duncan Smith.
So far, you have flatly refused to talk to us "phelbs" over your "reforms" which dress it up in any ministerial jargon means CUTS. IDS won't set a date as he is too chickhen to look us in the eye and have a peacefull, cogent, well reasoned chat on why these cuts are killing people. Accept The Challenge Dundee are there and awaiting a polite
answer from your co-worker.

So, on Feb 10th, are you going to listen to reason or try and give lies damn lies and stats at us that when properly broken down make you as bad a hate mongerer as the bigoted Daily Mail? What formatt, can we rebuttal your
answers of falsehood with the truth of our existence?

i wet myself laughing when Prof Harringtons report was hailed as far reaching! i've dug in my arse further than that toothless report that even you agree with but will not implement.

i will NOT kill myself over your "reforms" but as my life means nothing to you you really don't care either way.

i have proof how ATOS lie in reports and you give them money.

YOU and ATOS are the benefit scum not me nor any of my disabled fellows.
You have picked upon the weakest in society, chums like Phil Green need to pay the correct tax and MP's need to stop
getting money from industry like ATOS and the tax payer. if i did that, rightly i;d be put in prison, you get off
scot free.

Dare you face me? No, you won't, hide i see you for what you are Mr Grayling.

[Able Scribe]

The distribution of poverty

Chris Grayling's proposals will mean that disabled incapacitated people have more of Nothing. Is this what you intend, Mr. Grayling?

What is more Important - an unemployed person taking steps to feed his family - or, A Mr George Osbourne taking steps to avoid paying his taxes?

[lisa1cares]

dear minister
in regard to prime minsters question time:
how can this government make a judgement regarding mobility when the leader doesn't even know what the mobility element of DLA is and thought it was just for people in care?

[Indie]

Dear Minister,
I was a solicitor for most of my working life until I had a breakdown due to overwhelming stress due to constant pressure of work. I suffer from Depression, Bipolar Disorder, OCD and Self Harming and I am being treated by Psychiatrists and Therapists. I paid very substantially into the system and feel very scared at your Government's unjustified attacks on the disabled, labelling us as benefit-scrounging layabouts.
My work record shows that I am far from being a scrounger. I am ill and do not like being victimised, insulted and kicked in the teeth when I am in need.
My question is this:
I have extreme difficulty in talking about my mental ill health to the professionals trying to help me, let alone to a complete stranger at an impersonal assessment. I am asking you to please allow those disabled by mental health to be excused an interview by providing expert Psychiatric reports from those that know us and our capabilities best.
I feel sick at the thought of being so vulnerable and under attack.
Please treat us with the dignity and consideration that you would like, were you to be in the same position, through no fault of your own.
Thank you,
Indie

[lisa1cares]

Dear minister
are the ATOS going to take into account the side effects that a lot of medications have on medically ill?

do you think that side effects of medication should be taking into account?

are you aware how bad some of the side effects of medication can be?

If a person is to ill at the time of their assessment will they loss their benefits?

If no, how long does a person have to get well enough to sit an assessment?

if yes, how do you expect them to get to the assessment when some are in short term hospitalization?

When attending assessments at ATOS if we loss control in the assessment are we going to be arrested?
please refer back to other questions in regard going to prison and how the government is going to help then and answer in the context of the above question?