Atos/WCA documentary's

I was given one of these assessments ages ago. I thought the assessment itself was very poor, the main thing I can remember is a series of simple mental arithmetic questions. I was surprised when they decided in my favour without need for appeal.

Likewise, my mother was recently being moved from Income Support due to incapacity, over to ESA. It's fair to say she had come the wrong side of these assessments previously and needed to appeal. However, there didn't seem to be an issue this time around. I guess it could have been because of the previous appeal etc. However, my partner's Dad recently had such an assessment and wasn't successful.

To be completely fair, I would say I and my mother are actually capable of work to some extent. The problem, as always, being whether someone would actually employ me. Fortunately I am starting a job soon, after getting a lucky break through doing a work experience placement - I still have not, and probably never will, get a job off the back of an interview. I think it would do a world of good for my mother to be doing something with her life, and to have a purpose. However, again, the problem is whether anyone would employ her - and I doubt they would. So forcing her to go on the job market probably wouldn't be a good thing, as it would cause more harm than good. The way the system works, with two groups as a not expected to work, and expected to work, if you're in the not expected to work group, then clearly you're written off. There should definitely be some sort of help available to those who want it and are in the not expected to work group.

In some ways, the *** were more humane than the WCAs. At least when you're rounded up, gassed and dead, you don't have to live with the mental anguish and torture inflicted by the system. (I know that's a gross over-simplification, and will be an unpopular view - but you got to admit it has *some* validity, if you ever see the anguish these things put people through.)

I was given one of these assessments ages ago. I thought the assessment itself was very poor, the main thing I can remember is a series of simple mental arithmetic questions. I was surprised when they decided in my favour without need for appeal.

Likewise, my mother was recently being moved from Income Support due to incapacity, over to ESA. It's fair to say she had come the wrong side of these assessments previously and needed to appeal. However, there didn't seem to be an issue this time around. I guess it could have been because of the previous appeal etc. However, my partner's Dad recently had such an assessment and wasn't successful.

To be completely fair, I would say I and my mother are actually capable of work to some extent. The problem, as always, being whether someone would actually employ me. Fortunately I am starting a job soon, after getting a lucky break through doing a work experience placement - I still have not, and probably never will, get a job off the back of an interview. I think it would do a world of good for my mother to be doing something with her life, and to have a purpose. However, again, the problem is whether anyone would employ her - and I doubt they would. So forcing her to go on the job market probably wouldn't be a good thing, as it would cause more harm than good. The way the system works, with two groups as a not expected to work, and expected to work, if you're in the not expected to work group, then clearly you're written off. There should definitely be some sort of help available to those who want it and are in the not expected to work group.

In some ways, the *** were more humane than the WCAs. At least when you're rounded up, gassed and dead, you don't have to live with the mental anguish and torture inflicted by the system. (I know that's a gross over-simplification, and will be an unpopular view - but you got to admit it has *some* validity, if you ever see the anguish these things put people through.)