Disability New Service: Isle of Man set to scrap its ‘fitness for work’ test

[Andy]

Ministers on the Isle of Man are to scrap their version of the UK government’s much-criticised “fitness for work” test, prompting calls by disabled activists for the UK government to follow their lead.

The decision, announced to members of Tynwald, the Isle of Man* parliament (pictured), follows years of criticism of the assessment on the island, mirroring concerns raised repeatedly and publicly in the UK.

The statement by Treasury minister Alfred Cannan followed a report by Tynwald members into what is known on the island as the personal capability assessment (PCA), which is based on the UK’s work capability assessment (WCA).

In the UK, there has been nearly a decade of evidence that the WCA is unsafe, inaccurate, unfair, and lacking in empathy, while it has been repeatedly linked with the deaths of claimants.

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/isle-of-man-set-to-scrap-its-fitness-for-work-test/

 

[Hutan]

Just as in the UK, there were criticisms of the “tick box” nature of the assessment process, the failure to deal fairly with claimants with fluctuating conditions such as ME and multiple sclerosis, and the use of unqualified and unsympathetic assessors.

This is progress, ME being mentioned in the same phrase as MS. @dave30th, the advocacy of you and others is bearing fruit in many ways.

 

[Sly Saint]

Article in IOM today from end of March:

"He said there would be extra staffing for the new system, which would include a GP supported by an occupational health psychologist and a physiotherapist. Mr Cannan said the existing doctor’s sick note would be changed - with appropriate training for GPs - to encourage patients to ’focus on the pathway back to work’."

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.c...to+be+scrapped&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2018

 

[TiredSam]

When the fitness to work checks were first introduced in 2012 as a pilot scheme carried out by Atos Healthcare, a number of claimants immediately stopped claiming - suggesting there had been some abuse of the system.

That can be read two ways and still be true. How do they know that the claimants who stopped claiming weren't the most ill who had to stop claiming due to Atos Healthcare's abuse of the system?

with appropriate training for GPs - to encourage patients to ’focus on the pathway back to work’.

That still sounds sinister, and patronizing. Why do they assume that patients need encouragement to focus on the pathway back to work? Maybe the patient is already desperately wishing they could get better and back to work and doesn't need any further encouragement on that score?

The appropriate training for GPs would be to just concentrate on patients' health and write honest health assessments free of political interference. If, after that, politicians want to say "well we just don't want to pay for that many sick people so some of them are going to have to die" then they should stand alone when they say that, not try to pass the buck to GPs with "appropriate training". Hopefully some GPs who see these patients every day will feel able to call the "appropriate training" out for what it is.

 

[Invisible Woman]

Claimants will have to follow the required medical assessments and treatment otherwise they will, when applicable, lose their benefit.’ .

Sounds like enforced treatment. So, presumably, if treatment is not helping or making you worse, but you aren't believed then that's too bad.

Where's the redress for patients who are harmed by inappropriate treatments?

 

[alktipping]

the same political sound bites but no real changes in attitude. Victorian values of who the deserving sick/poor are still abound so the name of the abuse will change and the abused will be to poor to get honest legal redress.a couple of years ago in England a parliamentary review found atos and the all work capacity test unfit for purpose has there been any real improvements in my experience no.