Thursday, May 23, 2013

Another Court Disaster For The DWP As Atos Assessments Ruled Unfair

atoskillsgraf

The DWP have lost in the courts again after a tribunal today ruled that the Atos run Work Capability Assessment (WCA) disadvantages people with mental health problems.

This follows a string of legal decisions ruling against the DWP as they have attempted to rush through bungled and poorly thought through welfare reforms.

The tribunal hearing was brought after two claimants supported by the Mental Health Resistance Network (MHRN) were successful in launching  a judicial review into the WCA – the notorious assessment process which has stripped vital benefits from hundreds of thousands of sick and disabled claimants.

According to MHRN: “The judgment is clear: to routinely fail to consider evidence put forward by their own health care practitioners (the DWP current practice) places people with Mental Health Problems at a significant disadvantage which means that the current practice has been – and remains – discriminatory.”

Showing their usual contempt for the courts, the DWP have said they will appeal the decision and the assessments will not stop.