A record number of wounded war veterans have been denied disability benefits in the past year after undergoing tests carried out by the Government’s controversial assessment company.
Hundreds of injured ex-soldiers are being declared fit for work by Atos Healthcare in spite of physical and mental injuries they suffered in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Last night, the Royal British Legion (RBL) announced a 72 per cent annual rise in former soldiers having their applications to receive Employment Support Allowance (ESA) turned down. Several hundred wounded personnel were denied the benefit on the basis of physical examinations conducted by Atos, according to the RBL.
The company is contracted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to assess benefits claimants’ capability to work.
In one case, Lance Corporal Mark Dryden, 35 – a former member of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers who, after an explosion in Iraq, lost his right arm and the full use of his left – was asked by Atos assessors if he was left or right-handed. He is now taking his case against the DWP to a benefits tribunal.
That case, and others, have led to accusations that Atos Healthcare is under intense pressure to produce assessments that enable the Government to reject benefits claims.
Servicemen suffering from the mental scars of combat also complain that they have been turned down for disability benefits.
Many injured troops have also described having to undergo demeaning physical tests by the firm.
Last night, Peter Poole, the Strategic Director of Combat Stress, a charity serving ex-soldiers suffering from conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, told The Mail on Sunday that, when questioned, wounded troops tended to play down the discomfort they were feeling because to make a fuss went against the military ethos.
He said this led to Atos assessors marking down military candidates.
Showing respect: Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh meets with patients and staff at the defence medical rehabilitation centre at Headley Court in Surrey last month
He added: ‘Atos needs to use its resources to the best effect to ensure soldiers receive the best attention. Many of the doctors and psychologists used by Atos might not have treated troops before.’
Atos is in the process of assessing two million claimants for ESA, which replaced Incapacity Benefit in 2008.
An Atos spokesman said: ‘A physical examination is a small part of the WCA process and people are only asked to do what they can and what is comfortable, with their specific consent.’
A DWP spokesman added: ‘The percentage of people getting long-term unconditional support has more than doubled in two years, but everyone has the right to appeal if they disagree with the outcome of their assessment.’
Forgive me if some of these don’t line up correctly. I add one more act each time I catch it from the articles….IF you want this list, please feel free to copy and paste it for your files:
Obama decides the Ft Hood Shooting was a case of “Work place violence”; instead of Islam infiltrating Our Military;
Rips the Military Budget as he gives politicians a raise;
Cancels Military Retirement;
Changes the Rule of Military Combat Pay;
Ships shell casings of ammunition to China.
Announces to the world about the cut in Nukes;
Orders the Military to lie about Afghanistan;
Flags are flown at half staff when a hero dies — allows the American Flag at half mast for a black singer;
Decides NOT to give a Purple Heart to the survivors of the Ft. Hood Shooting calling it “work place violence”;
Fraudulent Affirmative Action Picked for Head Drill Sergeant;
Slashes 1,200 National Guard to 300 along the borders for Terrorists to enter;
Despite his approving of Sodomy and Bestiality — Military Restores Ban;
Disrespects Seal families;
Veterans’ Cemetery must ban “GOD and Jesus from Military graves.”
Violates the rights of Military Chaplains.
Lies about bin Laden’s death…won’t show pictures or video of Islamic burial at sea….lies about helicopter crash
No seals were Injured during Bin Laden raid…however, those who knew died (can’t remember the exact number)
Repeals DADT….
Wanted injured military to pay for their own medical expenses because they had volunteered to fight in the military…..
(12/28) Breaks Promise to Military and keeps Troops in Afghanistan until 2014
(01/12) Obama quietly signed the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act, which nullifies the Bill of Rights and declares America to be a “battleground” in which all American citizens can be arrested, imprisoned, tortured and even killed with no due process.
(2/09) Obama Guts Military and gives Bureaucrats a Raise
(2/10) Denies Hero(s) Purple Hearts — calling Ft. Hood Shootings as Work Place Violence
(2/14) Military Chaplains charged with sedition/Treason for teaching against sin
(2/16) Military to Fake Belly, Breast to better understand how females in the Military feel;
(2/25) Our Military burned Koran and Obama apologized causing the deaths of two Officers who were unarmed were shot in the back of the head in a secured location.
2/26 Obama doesn’t stand with Military as NATO tries to prosecute the Military men who burned Koran;
(2/26) Military Refuses to take orders from him;
(2/26) Takes healthcare away from Military; Triples co-pay on their insurance.
(2/27) Obama mocks Military by burning a Bible
(2/27) Military now responsible for their own health care (even when they come back from the Middle East without a limb, etc.)
Under the Radar, he sends troops to 4 African countries
Changes Rules of Engagement
Forcing Troops to Lie about the Progress in Afghanistan
Obama threatens Chaplains: “You can’t preach against me in chapel.”
(3/4/12) Obama threatens Chaplains: “You can’t preach against me in chapel.”
(just following) Chaplains cannot preach against sin
3/27/2012 — Tax “our” Military to give to HIS New Military
4/14 – Army Generals Plead With Obama “Bring them HOME”
(4/23) – Military Rates Obama as the worst President they have served with
(4/25) Seals Blast Obama for using them as Campaign tools for going after Osama Bin Laden
(05/01/12) Forcing New West Point Cadets to become PC for Muslims
(05/04/12) Forced Our Military to shove their butts in the air praying position to Islam
(05/05/12) Cuts Military Budget “again” setting us up for defeat
(05/06/12) Chip under the skin for Military Personnel
(05/09/12) Backs Taliban as they Kill Our Military
(05/09/12) Claims Military are fighting on “his” behalf
(05/10/12) Obama Releases Taliban Terrorists while Military Man Held captive for 3 yrs
(05/11/2012) Obama Suspended Classes on Islam — The way to save the world is through Nukes (like WWII)…
05/13/2012) Slashes Military Budget for healthcare to build $750,000 exercise facilities for Muslims who are incarcerated
(05/13/2012) Obama Cuts $13 Billion from TriCare for Military
(05/14/2012) Obama offers purple heart to the victims of terror BUT NOT those at Ft. Hood+ considered Ft. Hood “work Place Violence”
(05/16/2012) The Navy just fired it’s 16th command officer for 2011 REPLACED w/Obama Appointee
Navy Commander Fired Over Falsified Records REPLACED w/ OBAMA Appointee
NAVY FIRED Five Attack Submarines CO’s REPLACED w/ OBAMA Appointees
Navy Fires 10th CO This Year REPLACED w/ OBAMA Appointee
Navy Relieves CO of New Ship REPLACED w/ OBAMA Appointee
Navy Medicine CO Fired for Poor Command Climate REPLACED w/ OBAMA Appointee
USAF CHIEF OF STAFF FIRED REPLACED w/ OBAMA Appointee
NORTHCOM Commander fired REPLACED w/ OBAMA Appointee
15 ARMY GENERAL FIRED REPLACED w/ OBAMA Appointee
5 MARINE GENERALS FRIED REPLACED w/ OBAMA Appointee
( 05/21/12) President Betrayed Troops by releasing a known terrorist killer
(05/23/12) Obama Undermines Troops Putting Taliban in Power as They KILL OUR TROOPS;
(05/28/12) Memorial Day: Makes the day to honor OUR Troops all about him
(06/01/12) Veto promise comes because House GOP leaders are breaking faith with last summer’s budget deal by cutting overall funding for agency operating budgets by $19 billion,almost 2 percent.
(06/07/12) Obama’s uses Memorial Day to Campaing in Photo-Op by blocking families of Vets from D.C. Vietnam Memorial
(06/07/12) Same Sex Marriage on a Military Base
(06/08/12) Obama cuts back on Military causing them to have to improvise
(06/10/12) More Troops Die of Suicide than from War
(06/11/12) Memorial Day-Obama shuts out Military, friends/family forced to pay respect 100(s) of yards from the sit behind a fence
(06/11/12) Prior to this day, VietNam vets and family members denied access to wall
(06/11/12) Too busy to allow the Fly-Over by the Thunderbirds during the Memorial Day Celebration..he cut it short because he had places to go campaign;
(06/14/12) Pentagon Bans Bibles
(06/20/12) More Military are committing suicide than from being killed in battle.
(06/20/12) Disciplines Military for Burning Koran
(06/21/12) Obama Orders Military to Celebrate Gay Pride Month
(06/26/12) Obama Forbids Chaplains to mention Jesus
(06/30/12) Obama allows Terror-Linked CAIR Targets Navy Seals Training
(06/30/12) Obama wants Military to pay-up more on their Tricare Insurance
(07/03/12) Obama sends troops to Persian Gulf-further spreading troops thin
(07/07/12) Obama Refuses to Offer the Flag of the United States to the Family of a Fallen Hero; Gives the Responsibility to the Secretary of Defense
(07/30/12) Obama to Turn Military into Social Workers
(08/02/12) Obama to Keep Military from voting
(08/04/12) Massive Cuts to Military Healthcare
(08/16/12) Obama Campaigns Strikes Back Against Former Navy Seal
(08/21/12) Obama Dismisses Seals “Don’t take them too seriously
(08/21/12) Too many Military Deaths in Middle East — Obama should change plan
(08/21/12) Obama Adds Military Hero(s) to his list of enemies
(08/21/12) Obama Puts Special Ops in Danger
(08/22/12) Officer Penalized for opposing Sharia Training
(08/24/12) Veterans Being Rounded Up Nationwide
(08/25/12) Obama having all of the Military Vets Picked Up
(08/24/12) Military man penalized for NOT wanting to attend PRO Muslim Training
(08/31/12) Obama making Military submit to Sharia
(08/31/12) Sends form letter to fallen Seal Team Six Families
(09/23/12) Increases btw 30% to 79% in Tricare premiums for lst year. Then plan imposes 5-yr increases from 94%
(09/26/12) U.S. Troops Are Being Murdered In Afghanistan: Pentagon’s Answer … Muslim Sensitivity Training
(09/30/12) Shhhh: US military deaths in Afghanistan hit 2,000″
(10/4/12) Obama blames US troops for attacks on them by Afghan security forces, orders Islamic cultural sensitivity training to 345%-more than 3x’s current levels.
10/12/12 Disabled Vet Considered Terrorist–he inquires about Cost of Surveillance Camera(s) for his home.
(11/03/12) Has Military removed from voting records in Florida
(12/02/12) Obama Taking Guns from all Military Vets.
(12/14/12) Obama Fires Lt. Col. Dooley for speaking out against Islam
(12/16/12) Obama Ignores Military Man in Mexican Jail
(12/00/12) Announced withdrawal date in Afghanistan. Now no Afghans will cooperate with US military because they are leaving … leaving the Taliban behind. Allows the Afghans vet the Afghans who will train with the US military despite the insider attacks.
(12/00/12) Program where female soldiers where the hijab to appease their ‘culture’
(12/00/12) U.S. military to disarm for his ‘surprise” visit to Afghanistan so not to offend the Afghans who disarm
(12/10/12) New Army manual orders soldiers not to criticize Taliban, pedophilia, or Islam, or advocate for women’s rights
(1/05/13) Former Marine gets 20 yrs for burning a Koran
(1/27/13) Obama Cuts Healthcare to active Military and vets
(1/28/13) Obama Cuts Breakfast for Military in Afghanistan
(02/20/13) Obama takes the guns out of the hands of vets and prohibits them to own them.
(02/21/13) U.S. Troops having to get Gear From Charity
(03/03/2013) Bizarre Sex Games-which male/female soldiers offered prizes in a race to put condoms on sex toys.
(03/13/2013) Suspends Military Tuition for College
(06/09/2013) Record Number of Our Maimed Military Denied Disability
When we contract out government functions, service dies. “For profit” replaces “for the good of those who serve.” Atos is responsible to its shareholders, not our troops. They cut service and expenses to keep profits up. Meanwhile our wounded warriors suffer and die here in the place they made safe. .
the government is broke,and they don’t want to care for broken soldiers that cannot fight for their interests anymore.
Death, dismemberment and disability are occupational hazzards of war. The 9-11-10 attack was provoked and could have been more easily prevented than developing into the huge success that it did. The Invasion of Iraq was completely unnecessary, unjustified and illegal under international law. And to this very day, the American people allow our government to pursue a foreign policy which invites and encourages more acts of aggression. The military industrial complex is driving the U.S. economy, dictating military policy and is the sole beneficiary of the U.S. being engaged militarily in global conflicts. Common sense tells you that the beneficiaries of war should have to pay for the consequences of their actions.
they haven’t seen enough mamed homeless vets to know many servicemen are used, abused, and kicked to the curb just like anyone else that gets used by a ratchet gov?? hell, I have been seeing them for the past few decades…nothing new and too late to get upset about it, they all knew this was a possibility, but instead of addressing it they turned their heads and became victims themselves…smh, typical American behavior, taught from the parents down to the grandchildren.
Used, abused & kicked to the curb is exactly what the U.S. did to Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and many others.The time to plan & prepare for homeless and/or disabled vets is before we send them off to war – particularly when the vets are fighting and dying for absolutely nothing.