Replacement for ATOS announced

[reallymadwoman]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29815425

[Mr.P]

Maximus is already used by the Department for Work and Pensions to carry out welfare-to-work schemes in the south-east of England.

 

Does any more need to be said ?

[Belfaster]

Oh dear, ATOSH all over again, but under a different name!

[honeybee13]

I suspect what won't change is the assessment terms laid out by the DWP.

 

If it's not the Lima software that could be better, but I'm not clear what they would use. Was Lima developed by Atos, I can't remember?

 

HB

[reallymadwoman]

Was Lima developed by Atos, I can't remember?

 

HB

 

I believe it was. The last I read was that the delay in appointing someone new was whilst DWP negotiated for them to have access to the software, but I can't find a link again now so I might have that wrong.

[letsgetitsorted]

that be why i am still waiting for my assessment then

[RaeUK]

iirc, Lima was originally a software package designed for American insurance companies to more easily refuse claims. No surprise it was heartily taken up by the DWP. Oh well, Maximus Profitus it is ...

[honeybee13]

iirc, Lima was originally a software package designed for American insurance companies to more easily refuse claims. No surprise it was heartily taken up by the DWP. Oh well, Maximus Profitus it is ...

 

Hello Rae, nice to see you here.

 

I'm wondering if this is the system that Unum USA insurance company, known to take a tough line on illness, helped to create. We're talking a few years ago since the last discussions though so I might have remembered wrongly.

 

HB

Edited October 29, 2014 by honeybee13
Typo.

[bigissue]

Any one have any idea when reassessments will start up again. Like many I was due to be seen in January but have heard nothing from them. I did request information from the DWP and was sent a letter saying that assesments had been deferred (although it seems not to be the case for everyone strangely).

 

I imagine it might take a while before Maximus is up and running but at what point should I start to worry about my nice brown envelope dropping though the door?

[RaeUK]

Hi honeybee, nice to see you too.

I do believe it is the very same system. Very pernicious.

[Lilly_Monroe]

I take it a lot of the existing staff will transfer over to the new regime (or face being unemployed) so the front line will not change all that much.

[honeybee13]

Hi honeybee, nice to see you too.

I do believe it is the very same system. Very pernicious.

 

That's sad, isn't it?

 

HB

[stu007]

This is from 2007 Department of Justice in America about Maximus and its employees:

 

http://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2007/July/07_civ_535.html

 

and these links on Maximus:

 

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/MAXIMUS,_Inc#Political_Activity

 

http://www.natlawreview.com/article/maximus-will-pay-50000-to-settle-eeoc-disability-discrimination-lawsuit

 

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/auditors-state-owes-228-million-for-improper-medicaid-billings-under-jim-doyle-b99102596z1-224574611.html

 

http://www.jsonline.com/news/health/consultants-advice-could-cost-state-tens-of-millions-b99129639z1-229986111.html

Edited October 29, 2014 by stu007

[reallymadwoman]

More news http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29821696

[sadone]

Yeah I saw that. A real 'Halloween horror' If ever I saw one. If that goes through I can see extreme suffering and many, many deaths ahead.

 

What the hell is wrong with these people? They really do think only of themselves don't they.

 

More then ever this has become a war against the sick and disabled by this bl**dy government.

 

Leaked documents this summer showed that ministers considered ESA - formerly known as incapacity benefit - to be "one of the largest fiscal risks currently facing the government".

 

Yeah, right.... Edited October 30, 2014 by honeybee13

[reallymadwoman]

Labour MP Dame Anne Begg, who chairs the Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee, said she would support overhauling the delivery of ESA but "did not envisage" any reduction in the value of the benefit.

 

"That's not reform, that is just saving money. I hope that is not something the government is going to come forward with."

 

 

And that is what it is all about - saving money. Cutting the value of ESA by comparison with JSA will obviously deter all those people who have been so stressed by the JSA regime that it's made them ill. And for many sick people it will just be easier to give up their 50p a week and keep jumping through hoops since they're not that different from the JSA hoops, but without the farce that is the WCA.

[worried33]

I see this has been done just in time for my ESA to not get the automatic 2 year extension, how predictable. My next ESA50 I predict is due this month. They did the suspension of WCA's 2 or 3 months after my last one.

 

Also I think this will be worse than ATOS, ATOS were actually allowing recorded medicals, staff were also always polite to me. I suspect one of the reason ATOS fell out with the DWP was they were even realising themselves that the WCA was wrong, and this new company has probably been more cooperative.

[worried33]

And that is what it is all about - saving money. Cutting the value of ESA by comparison with JSA will obviously deter all those people who have been so stressed by the JSA regime that it's made them ill. And for many sick people it will just be easier to give up their 50p a week and keep jumping through hoops since they're not that different from the JSA hoops, but without the farce that is the WCA.

 

There is actually no logical reason why ESA should not be directly linked to the state pension value, both are the same thing but for different age groups. Its purely political reasons why the state pension is protected so much.

[Mr.P]

And that is what it is all about - saving money. Cutting the value of ESA by comparison with JSA will obviously deter all those people who have been so stressed by the JSA regime that it's made them ill.

 

But in plans set out by IDS, both ESA and JSA (along with WTC, HB, and other benefits) will disappear and be replaced with Universal Credit - This will level the playing field and mean everyone will be subject to the same sanctions regime and hoop jumping exercises.

 

Its purely political reasons why the state pension is protected so much.

 

The pensioner's vote is hugely important to all parties, and is the one sector government is unwilling to pick a fight with.

[Nystagmite]

Many of us would be worse off under ESA - under JSA, those on DLA / PIP, get a disability premium. You don't get this (the £30 a week) on ESA. It was a huge loss to me when I was forced to claim ESA. And then I had to wait some 20 odd weeks to get my ESA result.

[Nystagmite]

More news http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29821696

 

And this was published on the same day...

[Lilly_Monroe]

And this was published on the same day...

 

Why am I not surprised - they loath the idea of paying the sick anything.

As soon as they win the election (and I pray they don't) this will be activated.

[OlafJensen]

Food stamps next and a swipe card for utilities. Oh and a clothing bank.

What we need is a pot of gold to get a good lawyer and then go after the DWP. That or go put your head under the blanket, because its coming.