Friday 28 August 2015

Jeremy Corbyn Speaks out Against the WCA

"In response to figures released by the Department of Work and Pensions on the known number of deaths while claiming incapacity benefits, Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn said:

"It is clear that the work capability assessment has failed to adequately assess support needs, and has caused immense distress and suffering for thousands of disabled claimants.
"I voted against the legislation* that introduced the WCA and have campaigned alongside disabled people's organisations to scrap it ever since. The assessment process needs to be completely rebuilt in partnership with disabled people and health professionals."
*Welfare Reform Act 2007

The figures, published under freedom of information laws, show that more than 2,500 sick and disabled benefit claimants have died after being found 'fit for work' in just two years."

Though statistics, appeals and sadly untimely deaths, some by suicide, have shown the WCA to be a deeply flawed system I was frustrated that both Rachel Reeves and Kate Green kept insisting that it would be retained under a Labour government.

The system is broke. It is known to be broke. Yet it is kept in place as it fits in with the Tory ideology of removing people from higher paid benefit; or indeed taking them out of benefit altogether.

An independent and objective media, especially press, would of course have picked up on the criminal use of the flawed WCA years ago. A properly functioning opposition would have been pushing for Duncan-Smith to be forthcoming with the number of deaths associated with the system.

However, and because neither the media nor the opposition carried out their duties thousands of disabled and sick people lost their lives; scores of thousands more were placed in an impossible position that forced them to seek work that they were unable to get or carry out, many have been sanctioned as a result; while countless others simply fell off the statistical register.


At last we have a prominent MP in Jeremy Corbyn addressing the unfashionable issues such as the horrors of WCA. Now the issue is out in the 'mainstream' maybe it will attract some positive attention from both the opposition and media.  

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