Anti-Workfare Picket December 8th

Anti-workfare Picket December 8th - The small placards say, 'Workfare Is Not Voluntary' and 'British Heart Foundation Stop Exploiting The Unemployed'.

Anti-Workfare Pickets Glasgow Report

 On Saturday 8^th December as part of the Boycott Workfare Week Of Action a couple of dozen people from Clydeside Industrial Workers Of The World, the Crutch Collective, Glasgow Anarchist Federation, Glasgow Solidarity Federation, the Right To Work Campaign and other individuals leafleted a branch of Superdrug in one of the city centre's busiest streets. The one thousand leaflets given out highlighted Superdrug taking on even more people on the Government's 'Work Experience' workfare scheme for the Christmas period. The extra people on workfare means less holiday pay for the regular staff. There was a lot of police about and Superdrug had hired extra security for the day. However the combination of the picket, the leaflet saying, 'Don't Shop At Superdrug' and the added security costs meant we succeeded in our objective of costing Superdrug money for using Workfare. Thanks to everyone who took part. Apparently someone also left placards saying 'Superdrug + Unpaid Work = Superdrudgery' outside their other city centre branch.

The picket also attracted some media attention from local journalists. The Sunday Mail, with a reported readership of around one million, mentioned the Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow protests, and their article, 'Big Businesses Taking On Jobless Young People To Work Unpaid Over Christmas', helped get our general message across to a larger audience. It appears to contain some useful information on the extent of Workfare involvement of a number of companies, but it also includes some of the distortions of the reality of Workfare by these companies and the Department for Work and Pensions. We would have to question if the newspaper verified any of the information in the statements of the the Workfare companies and the D.W.P.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/revealed-big-businesses-taking-on-jobless-1480979

The Superdrug distortions - 'Work Experience' is not voluntary in practice. Job Centre Plus and third party workfare profiteers like A4E bully benefit claimants on to the scheme. Benefit claimants can have their benefits cut if they do not not continue to 'volunteer' to stay on the scheme, after they have been on the scheme for a week. Only a tiny number of people on workfare get jobs afterwards. For example it is 3.5% for the 'Work Programme' and that includes participants getting jobs with other companies and very short-term jobs. Stacking shelves for Superdrug is not learning a skill. Argos state that 'Work Experience' people work alongside paid colleagues, but don't replace them, but the permanent staff lose out on holiday pay. Why aren't all of their temporary staff paid? Of the 25% Poundland say left their 'work experience' early, because they received a job offer elsewhere, how many were going to get offered a job anyhow? Poundland also put a positive spin on 10% going on to get jobs with them, but that means 90% do not, while Poundland continue to make profits from all the unpaid labour.

We brought forward the time of the picket so that people could take part in he UK UnCut Starbucks demo in Glasgow. UK UnCut have been making the links between tax avoidance, cuts to public services and their impact on women. The Starbucks PR machine has gone into overdrive saying that they will pay a few more peanuts in tax in the next couple of years based on their own estimates while they don't mention all the unpaid tax from the past in their media releases. It has been revealed that the tax payments will be paid for by cuts to the terms and conditions of the Starbucks staff. The IWW Starbucks Workers Union is looking for volunteer organisers to help them organise Starbucks staff to fight these cuts c/o -

PO Box 7593, Glasgow G42 2EX

communications@iww.org.uk

www.iww.org.uk

One person did manage to get inside the Sauchiehall Street coffee shop with leaflets, but there was too many police for a Refuge from the Cuts to be set up in this branch of Starbucks. The demo moved on to create a noisy presence with cake outside the Starbucks on Buchanan Street, another one of the main shopping streets in Glasgow.

From there a few people went on to picket the city centre furniture store of the British Heart Foundation. The manager of the store aggressively told us we needed a permit to hand out leaflets. This is another fake claim from BHF. When we told him we didn't need one he told us he was then going to ring the police and he stropped off phone in hand. Of course the police never arrived. A customer said that the manager said we were talking 'shit', but at the same time the manager had confirmed that that they do use Workfare in that store. BHF have had 1500 placements on 'Mandatory Work Activity' and the 'Work Programme'. Despite BHF claims, the schemes are not voluntary. BHF must know the meaning of the word, 'mandatory'. All workfare companies have to sign a contract saying that they will report anyone who does not show up for the schemes, which automatically results in benefit claimants having their benefits cut. BHF have vaguely stated that are 'moving away' from workfare at some unspecified point in the future, but hopefully this picket and others will bring their use of workfare to a halt sooner rather than later. They have been pressurised in to making another public statement, which could be a sign that they are about to cave in.

We are already making plans for a bigger Anti-Workfare campaign in the new year.

Claimants Resisting Unfair Treatment Cuts and Harassment

A group of benefit claimants and supporters in Glasgow

Hopefully we will have photos of the picket here soon.

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crutch-Collective/132893236781931?ref=hl

thecrutchcollective@gmail.com

Superdrug are taking on more people on the Government's 'Work Experience' workfare scheme for Christmas.

It's good for the bosses and their profits.

But bad for unemployed people on the scheme who don't get paid.

It's also bad for other workers who lose out on holiday wages.

Workfare is an attack on us all!

Main Text of the Anti-Workfare Superdrug Picket Leaflet

 Like many chain stores, Superdrug, who made a £20 million profit last year, have been given a massive public subsidy, in the form of unemployed people working for nothing but their benefits on a workfare scheme. Superdrug suspended their participation in the Government's 'Work Experience' workfare scheme earlier in the year after actions against Tesco exposed this scam, but Superdrug began using the scheme again from at least June.

This scheme is not only an attack on the unemployed - who are bullied on to the so-called voluntary scheme by Job Centre Plus and fraudster workfare provider companies like A4E, or are forced on to other workfare schemes for refusing to take part in 'work experience' that mostly involves stacking shelves for up to 30 hours a week for 8 weeks, and who face sanctions i.e. having their benefits cut in certain circumstances, while on the scheme.

It is also a direct attack on Superdrug workers and other workers - replacing paid jobs, holiday pay & ending temporary posts.

Superdrug will no longer be taking on temporary staff to deal with the busy Christmas period - rather than hire extra workers, Superdrug will be taking on more people on 'Work Experience' – workers Superdrug still don't have to pay. Not only will this impact on those being exploited as unpaid labour, but on students & others who rely on holiday work.

The same number of people will be doing the same amount of work – but thanks to workfare, Superdrug can replace paid workers with unpaid ones. Once again, the lies of the government and businesses, claiming that workfare is a way to help people back into work, are exposed. The exact opposite is true - workfare is a job destruction scheme.

We call on Superdrug to end this exploitation and withdraw immediately from all workfare programmes - any workers now working unpaid should be hired straight away.

The best way to end the iniquity of workfare is to directly affect the profits of the companies exploiting it - we have shown that it works - join us doing the same to Superdrug!

Until Superdrug gives in, help us in fighting this attack on all workers’ terms and conditions -

Don't Shop At Superdrug.

This picket is part of a 'Boycott Workfare' National Week Of Action. They have information on other High Street stores that use workfare on their website:

www.boycottworkfare.org/

A guide to all the workfare schemes and advice on how to avoid them can be found here:

www.solfed.org.uk/

Claimants Resisting Unfair Treatment Cuts and Harassment -

a group of benefit claimants and supporters in Glasgow:

http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com/

Supported by Clydeside Industrial Workers Of The World – Clydeside IWW is on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clydeside-IWW/216550781713688?ref=ts&fref=ts
 

We've changed the starting time of the Superdrug Workfare picket to 11 a.m. as some places online are saying that the Starbucks demo starts at 12 noon and some people want to go on to the Starbucks demo after the picket and the 2nd workfare picket!

http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/actions/941

http://www.facebook.com/events/512984508719380/

14:00
British Heart Foundation Furniture shop on Argyle Street.

How To Appeal & How To Beat Atos & The D.W.P.

We have recently noticed that 1000s of people have viewed the 'How To Appeal' pages on our website and that the number has been greatly increasing in recent months.

We just want to emphasise that it best to appeal with the help of an advice centre as this will greatly increase your chances of winning.  If you are in Glasgow or Edinburgh (and co-incidently Leeds as well) we can suggest places for you to go for for help.

We know that some people are too ill to do this, but we suggest you get collectively involved in fighting benefit cuts until the whole system is scrapped and replaced with a way of doing things that is based on genuinely meeting peoples' needs.  You may win your appeal as an individual, but you could be re-assessed every 6 months under the current system.  We have suggested finding other people in your area to fight benefit cuts by posting on the Black Triangle and Disabled People Against Cuts Facebook Pages (plus try the Atos Miracles Facebook Page for help and advice).  A selected list of groups fighting benefit cuts has also been produced in the last few weeks:

http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2012/11/23/whos-fighting-welfare-reform/

At least they should be able to tell you of a good advice centre to go to.

+

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/groups/AntiAtosAlliance/

Anti-Workfare Picket Superdrug Glasgow Sat. 8th Dec. 11 a.m.

Anti-Workfare Picket Superdrug
Public event · By The Crutch Collective

Share, join and invite friends:
http://www.facebook.com/events/436389796422231/

Saturday, 8 December 2012
11:00 until 11:50
Superdrug, 117 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3ER.

Like many chain stores, Superdrug, who made a £20 million profit last year, have been given a massive public subsidy, in the form of unemployed people working for nothing but their benefits on a workfare scheme. Superdrug suspended their participation in the Government's 'Work Experience' workfare scheme earlier in the year after Tesco was picketed and received a lot of bad publicity for using the same scheme, but Superdrug began using the scheme again from at least June.

This scheme is not only an attack on the unemployed, who are bullied on to the nominally voluntary scheme by Job Centre Plus, or are forced on to other workfare schemes for refusing to take part in 'work experience' that mostly involves stacking shelves for 30 hours a week for up to 8 weeks, and who face sanctions i.e. having their benefits cut in certain circumstances, while on the scheme. It is also a direct attack on Superdrug workers - replacing paid jobs, holiday pay & ending temporary posts.

Superdrug will no longer be taking on temporary staff to deal with the busy Christmas period. Rather than hire extra workers, Superdrug will be taking on more people on 'Work Experience' – workers Superdrug still don't have to pay. Not only will this impact on those being exploited as unpaid labour, but on students & others who rely on holiday work.

The same number of people will be doing the same amount of work – but thanks to workfare, Superdrug can replace paid workers with unpaid ones. Once again, the lies of the government and businesses, claiming that workfare is a way to help people back into work, are exposed. The exact opposite is true - workfare is a job destruction scheme.

We call on Superdrug to end this exploitation and withdraw immediately from all workfare programmes. Any workers now working unpaid should be hired straight away.

The best way to end the iniquity of workfare is to directly affect the profits of the companies exploiting it. We have shown that it works - join us doing the same to Superdrug!
Until Superdrug gives in, help us in fighting this attack on all workers’ terms and conditions.

The picket is part of a 'Boycott Workfare' National Day Of Action. They have information on other High Street stores that use workfare on their website:
http://www.boycottworkfare.org/

A guide to all the workfare schemes and advice on how to avoid them can be found here:
http://www.solfed.org.uk/

Claimants Resisting Unfair Treatment Cuts and Harassment -
a group of benefit claimants and supporters in Glasgow:
http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com/

Supported by Clydeside Industrial Workers Of The World:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clydeside-IWW/216550781713688?fref=ts

Some people from this picket will be going to the meeting point for the Glasgow UK UnCut Starbucks Refuge From The Cuts at the Donald Dewar statue on Buchanan Street:
http://www.facebook.com/events/468929923159054/

Co-Op – Cancel The Atos Contract! Glasgow Picket Report

Anti-Co-Op/Atos Contract picket outside the Co-Op Bank and the end of the picket at the Co-Op supermarket. The placards say, 'The Co-operative not-so-good for everyone'.

On Thursday 22^nd a dozen people, including members of benefit claimants' groups Black Triangle and the Crutch Collective, Clydeside Industrial Workers Of The World, Glasgow Anarchist Federation, Glasgow Solidarity Federation as well as other individuals took part in the hour long picket of the Co-Op Bank and supermarket on the same street in central Glasgow.

We gave out leaflets to Co-Op customers and the hundreds of people going pass on their way home from work. The leaflet highlighted the Co-Op's four year occupational health contract with Atos. Atos continue to make huge profits by continuing to assess most sick and disabled benefit claimants as fit for work, ignoring contrary medical evidence, to comply with Government targets for benefit cuts. The cuts are being imposed to make the poor pay again for the latest crisis in capitalism caused by the rich. We asked people to contact the Co-Op to tell the company, that sells itself as ethical, that they will be losing their custom until they cancel their contract with Atos.

Most interest came from older women who perhaps know from experience what the Co-Op is really about. Maybe they know the reality of the Co-Op's claim that they have always been ethical, because they have always provided affordable prices to those in need. In past generations the Co-Op mostly employed women. Their exploitative employment practices are still the same as any other business. Historically the Co-Op has played a significant role in the daily lives of many working class people. But it's contribution to working class emancipation has been marginal at best and at worst has added to illusion that such an aim can be achieved within the capitalist system. Like any other business it is open to the pressures that come with the fluctuations of the marketplace and has made workers redundant when the markets are down. Like any other bosses the Co-Op management have made older workers redundant, using the excuse that they would be incapable of coping with the introduction of new technology, that was never introduced, because managers had nothing better to do than manage workers like cogs in a machine.

Co-Op management tried to placate us with more empty words about ethics, rather than taking action against Atos. They have refused to rule out Atos from the bidding process for their new occupational contract, that starts next year, despite the unethical behaviour of Atos being well documented. If the Co-Op were interested in ethics they would have already publicly rejected an Atos bid. Their decision on who to award the new contract to will be based primarily on cheapness even though the profitable Co-Op do not have to do this out of economic necessity.

Atos and the police have been monitoring anti-Atos activity to try to manage dissent towards ineffectiveness. Now the Co-Op are up to it as well to help their Atos partners. The communications from Co-Op management, the hiring of extra security staff and the ludicrous number of police present for the picket show that the Co-Op are extremely worried about their ethical image, no matter how fake, even from the dent that can be caused to it by a relatively small group and one action. We must be doing something right. Just imagine what actions against the Atos contract by larger groups in more that one place could do.

Claimants Resisting Unfair Treatment Cuts and Harassment

How to gain exemptions from Atos/DWP 'Fit For Work' and WRAG decisions

http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2012/11/16/important-how-to-gain-exemption-from-dwpatos-fit-for-work-wrag-decisions-by-applying-esa-regulations-29-and-35-new-campaign-by-black-triangle-dpac/

ESA WRAG Workfare appeal

This may be useful way to appeal for sick and disabled people placed in the Work Related Activity Group for ESA and forced on to the Work Programme:

via Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty

http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/3923/

It basically involves getting a letter from your GP confirming you are too ill to take part in workfare and sending a letter of appeal to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Co-Op - Cancel The Atos Contract! - Picket
Public event · By The Crutch Collective
Thursday, 22 November 2012
16:30 until 17:30

The Co-operative Bank, 29 Gordon Street, Glasgow, G1 3PF, The Co-operative supermaket, 132 Union Street, Glasgow, G1 3QQ

The co-operative - not-so-good for everyone
It has recently been discovered that the Co-Op Bank and group of companies have had a 4 year occupational health contract with Atos, which is due to expire in July 2013.
Atos make huge profits carrying out work capability assessments on sick and disabled people on behalf of the Government.
As was exposed by a Channel 4 documentary they pass 7 out of 8 people as fit for work - to comply with Government targets for benefit cuts.
...
Their decisions are not based on objective medical opinion.

The Government are cutting benefits to reduce the debt caused by banks gambling on the financial markets.

The most vulnerable in society are being made to pay for the greed of bankers, whose bonuses continue to rise, and for the inevitable booms and busts of capitalist economics.

Citizens Advice Bureau Scotland have received 24,000 complaints about Atos. CAB win 80% of appeals against Atos finding people fit for work.

The Daily Record reported on a Government survey that showed half of those found fit for work by Atos end up destitute.

The Co-Op sells itself as an ethical company, but what ethical standards are they maintaining by continuing with a contract that gives millions to a company that cuts the benefits of sick and disabled people?

Hundreds of people have already complained about the contract on TheCo-operative Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/TheCooperative and by tweeting @TheCo-operative https://twitter.com/TheCooperative.

Why not join them and tell the Co-Op that you will stop shopping at their supermarkets or that you will close your Co-Op bank account until they cancel the contract with Atos? You can also email customer.relations@co-op.co.uk

Claimants Resisting Unfair Treatment, Cuts and Harassment www.thecrutchcollective.blogspot.co.uk

Supported by Clydeside Industrial Workers Of The World

Please share the Facebook event page, join and invite friends, and take part in the online protest mentioned:

http://www.facebook.com/events/425884534132651/

Communications Blockade - ATOS Thursday 30th August

 Block Atos's communications by email and fax to cost them money. It's the only thing they care about. Contact the Head Office, the CEO and the office nearest to you. Free faxes can be sent from this website:

http://www.freepopfax.com/

Suggested Email/Fax:

Subject: Atos – Stop Making Profits From The Sick And Disabled

Dear Sir/Madam,

Your sister company Atos Healthcare makes profits by carrying out Work Capability Assessments for the the DWP on the sick and disabled. Studies have shown these assessments to be highly inaccurate. Over 70% of Atos decisions declaring sick and disabled people as ‘fit for work’ are overturned on appeal, with the help of an advice centre, which the public have to pay for. Both Channel 4’s Dispatches and BBC’s Panorama programmes shown recently exposed the brutal reality of Work Capability Assessments. It has been shown that Atos set targets of passing only 12 to 13% as unfit for work. The process is driven by cost cutting not objective medical opinion. The Government with the help of Atos are cutting benefits to reduce the public debt caused by bankers gambling on the financial markets. The most vulnerable in society are being made to pay for the greed of bankers and the inevitable booms and busts of capitalist economics.

Please pass this message on to your bosses: Stop making profits from the sick and disabled.

UK Head Office:

ukwebenquiries@atos.net

020 7830 4445 (Fax)

CEO:

thierry.breton@atos.net

Local Offices:

Andover:

Fax 01264 835556

Birmingham:

Fax 0121 6275300

Bristol:

Fax 01454 284567

Cambridge:

Fax 01223 583300

Crewe:

Fax 0161 6018889

Dundee:

Fax 01384 448499

Leeds:

Fax 0113 3906137

Linwood:

Fax 01418 480660

Liverpool:

Fax 0151 4782777

Livingston:

Fax 01506 410645

Nottingham:

Fax 0115 943 1013

Runcorn:

Fax 01928 571646

Wilmslow:

Fax 01625 884445

Other actions and events:

http://www.dpac.uk.net/2012/08/latest-information-on-atos-games-week/

Glasgow Picket Against Holland & Barrett Workfare Report

Members of Clydeside Industrial Workers of the World, the Anarchist Federation and Solidarity Federation picketed the Queen Street branch of Holland & Barrett at lunchtime on Saturday 31^st March. We managed to turn some people away at the entrance. We had placards proclaiming 'The H&B Workfare Deal, Employ Three, Get One Free' in the style of Holland and Barrett advertising as Holland and Barrett plan to have a quarter of their workers as unpaid labour. Another placard said, 'Say No To Workfare At Holland and Barrett'. We gave out 500 leaflets detailing Holland & Barrett use of unpaid labour. A number of people stopped to ask what the picket was about. A member of the Holland & Barrett staff was one of these people on her way in to start her shift. She said that one girl had been on work experience at the store, but that she had got a permanent job. We pointed out generally Holland and Barrett have not given permanent contracts to 80% of people on work experience, their plans to introduce a 1000 more work experience people in the next year and how that could affect the hours of the permanent staff. The manager tried to tell us to move away from the entrance, but we just ignored her. In a final pathetic attempt to show us who was boss she bluffed that the police were on their way, even though there was nothing remotely illegal about what we were doing.

There were over 20 actions against workfare over the weekend around Britain that will be part of an ongoing campaign. These actions were part of a national day of action called by the Solidarity Federation. The actions tied in with the international days of action against austerity called by the International Workers Association that included the general strike in Spain on March 29^th, and the M31 European Day of Action Against Capitalism.

Glasgow Picket Against Holland & Barrett Workfare Sat. 31st March Meet 12 noon St Enoch's

Glasgow Picket Against Holland & Barrett Workfare

Saturday 31^st March

Meet 12 noon outside the front entrance of St Enoch's Underground Station to move on to the Workfare target - Holland & Barrett 9 Queen Street, Glasgow, G1 3ED.

Holland & Barrett are set to become one of the biggest exploiters of forced labour with plans to take on 1000 unpaid work experience placements from the Job Centre over the next year. With a workforce of only around 3,500 people this could amount to almost a quarter of their current staff on Workfare – work for dole money.

All 5 Workfare schemes still have sanctions in certain circumstances i.e. benefits are cut, so they are not entirely voluntary. Job Centres use every trick in the book to force benefit claimants onto nominally voluntary schemes. The Guardian has reported that young people who refuse the Work Experience scheme face Workfare under a different scheme.

These schemes represents a huge public subsidy for Holland and Barrett who make millions in profit. At present they offer a four week induction programme followed by more specialized product advisor training.  Under the Work Experience scheme young people can be required to carry out a two month period of workfare, under the Work Programme it can be as long as six months.  Therefore Holland & Barrett can use these schemes to cover wages during their induction and training periods.  They have the added advantage of having workers with no employment rights who can be laid off at a moments notice.  So the ones they like they keep, the ones they don’t they can get to stack shelves or hump boxes about for a bit and then farm them back to the dole office. Holland and Barrett have taken on 500 young people for 8 week periods since last summer and of these only about 20% have been taken on permanently.

Holland & Barrett can therefore use publicly paid for schemes to fund both their recruitment costs, staff training and to make up any extra staff at busy periods.   This will have a devastating impact on the staff to whom they actually pay wages, who will no doubt see hours and over-time cut. If Holland and Barrett are using free staff who are paid only meagre  Government benefits then that means they are recruiting less staff than they would otherwise.  Workfare is causing, not curing unemployment.

Boycott Holland and Barrett! Boycott Workfare!

Glasgow Picket Against Workfare Sat. 31st March Meet 12 noon St Enoch's

Glasgow Picket Against Workfare

Saturday 31^st March

Meet 12 noon outside the front entrance of St Enoch's Underground Station to move on to the Workfare target

Phone 07799285998 if you are late

What is workfare?
Unemployed people being forced to work for free for up to 6 months with no guarantee of a job afterwards, many of them for major high street companies.

Does workfare help the unemployed?
The government’s own research found that in countries that introduced workfare it could actually lower a jobseeker’s chances of finding a job. Where previously these roles would have been filled by paid staff, employers get to take advantage of a growing pool of jobseekers they won’t have to pay.

What if I have a job already?
Workfare means employers can lay-off their staff and replace them with people they don’t have to pay. The point of workfare is to drive down wages and working conditions, undermining even the minimum wage which many struggle to survive on.

Workfare isn’t about saving money – in fact these schemes are hugely expensive to the government. Workfare is a massive subsidy to private companies: providing them with free labour at public expense. The government has long been subsidising companies that pay low wages by topping-up poverty pay with benefits and tax credits. Workfare means less pay for us and more profits for them.

The state and businesses are colluding to undermine all our conditions.

We say: END UNPAID WORK.

There are plans to introduce Workfare for people in the Work Related Activity Group for sickness benefit (ESA). Most people who get turned down for sickness benefit win their case on appeal with the help of an advice centre. However some are conned by the Dept. for Work and Pensions into claiming Job Seekers Allowance, while appealing, and forced onto Workfare even though they are unfit for work.

Organised by Claimants Resisting Unfair Treatment Cuts and Harassment

thecrutchcollective@gmail.com http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com/

Supported by Glasgow Anarchist Federation and Glasgow Solidarity Federation

There are now at least 18 pickets against Workfare on March 31^st. More info here:

http://solfed.org.uk/?q=campaigns%2Fworkfare

March 31st is a national day of action against workfare called by the Solidarity Federation. This ties in with the international days of action against austerity called by the International Workers Association (IWA) - which includes a general strike in Spain on March 29th - and the M31 European Day of Action Against Capitalism.

Facebook Event Page:

http://www.facebook.com/events/326075244120535/?context=create#!/events/326075244120535/

Picket Atos Fri. 17th Feb. 4pm

 Picket Atos

Friday 17^th February 2012

4pm-5pm

Atos Medical Assessment Centre,

Corunna House,

29 Cadogan Street,

Glasgow G2 7AB.

Atos and the DWP are conning people into signing on for Job Seekers Allowance when they get turned down for sickness benefit. This means they are forced into applying for jobs that loads of other people are applying for and as most people win their appeal against getting turned down for sickness benefit with the help of an advice centre it also means a lot of sick and disabled people are being harassed into applying for jobs that they are too ill to carry out. If claimants just ask for a reappraisal their money is reduced until they win their appeal, but they are not forced to job search or restart their claim for sickness benefit from scratch and they will get their sickness benefit back-dated.

We also want to let claimants know that it is fairly easy to appeal against being placed in the Work Related Activity Group on Employment Support Allowance (the new name for sickness benefit). In this situation you get sickness benefit, but they try to harass sick and disabled claimants off ESA by forcing them to attend regular interviews over a number of months.

We will be giving advice leaflets to sick and disabled claimants outside Atos, but please share this information with anyone you know on sickness benefit:

What to do if you 'fail' a Work Capability Assessment -

http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com/2012/02/what-to-do-if-you-fail-your-work.html

How to prepare for an ESA Tribunal Hearing -

http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com/p/how-to-prepare-for-esa-tribunial.html

We will also continue to inform the public of how Atos are helping the government make the sick and disabled pay for the public debt caused by the greed of bankers and the inevitable booms and busts of capitalist economics:

http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com/p/atos-robbing-poor-to-give-to-rich.html

thecrutchcollective@gmail.com http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com/

WHAT TO DO IF YOU 'FAIL' YOUR WORK CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT

When you first receive the results of your ATOS W.C.A and it is a fail, the first thing that many do, as they are panicked and desperate, as they have had their money stopped, is to panic and phone the Job Centre Plus and ask about signing on for Jobseekers Allowance, which is what they want you to do, but there is an alternative and that is by asking for a Reconsideration and/or Appeal.

How to request reconsideration/Appeal

Many claimants have found they have scored “0” points in their W.C.A. and thus their benefits have been suspended. As the suspension notice usually arrives on or after the claimants usual pay day, panic ensues, followed by a call to Job Centre Plus and advice from Job Centre Plus to sign on for Job Seekers Allowance.

This is not necessarily the case, there is another option, one which will give you some money whilst you seek reconsideration and/or Appeal.  If you request an Appeal without requesting a reconsideration the DWP will automatically carry out a reconsideration and if the decision is not changed you do not then need to request an appeal as this is already registered.

Note, as soon as you know you have not scored sufficient points it is essential to contact your local C.A.B. or Local Authority welfare rights office, or other advice agency and request assistance from them. They are under severe pressure at the moment so get your request in quickly.  You can also contact the Crutch Collective for help.

What is the difference between reconsideration and an appeal?

Reconsideration: - When a Job Centre Plus Decision Maker looks again at the ATOS Health Care Professional's report or any new evidence you or your Doctors, specialists etc. provide.

Appeal:- When your case has been reconsidered by the Job Centre Plus Decision Maker and the decision is not changed then it goes to a Tribunal (this is sometimes called a first tier appeal).

What to do:

When you receive notice of your suspension due to scoring insufficient points to retain your benefits do the following:

Make sure you have a pen and paper in a convenient and comfortable spot near to your phone before you begin.

Call Job Centre Plus (or ask a carer or friend to this for you), ask the person you speak to for their name and contact number.

Go on to request a GL24 form and a copy of the ESA85 assessors report.

Tell the Job Centre Plus operative you will be seeking reconsideration and you wish to be put on the “Assessment Rate” during the appeals process.

The Job Centre Plus staff member may be evasive, say they haven't got access to your ESA85, but be polite and persistent, (they have it, they need it to make their decision), ask to speak to a more senior person and continue until they agree to what you are asking, including putting you on the Assessment Rate.

The Assessment Rate is the same as Job Seekers Allowance and allows you to retain any other help with rent and council tax you were receiving prior to your benefit suspension.

When you have the GL24 and ESA85 (These may not arrive at the same time with the ESA 85 may arrive weeks after the GL24 – Fill in the GL24 immediately)

Make a copy of the ESA85.

Read through the document carefully, you may have to pause during this part of the process as it can be quite frustrating to find out what has been written about you. If you find this difficult get someone you know and trust to help you.

Highlight every piece of information you consider to be:

·        Inaccurate

·        Assumed

·        Untrue

In this order, using a different coloured marker helps.

If you are going to dispute a descriptor it is essential you provide supporting evidence from your own Health Care Professional as the Tribunal will accept the word of the ATOS Health Care Professional if you do not do so.

Next, deal with one set of descriptors at a time. Write out the descriptor you are disputing, next to it say why, then indicate what evidence you have to support your challenge.

By the time you have completed this exercise you may have received the result of the reconsideration, if the outcome is positive then you have no need to go any further, if it is negative the Decision Maker will inform you if they think your case can go forward to the first tier tribunal and you should continue checking and double checking your ESA85 form for errors in preparation for your appeal.

Contact us for advice if you need to carry on to the next stage of the appeal process – how to prepare for an ESA Tribunial Hearing (this advice is also available on our website). There is also a – At the Tribunial Hearing - guide available.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU IF YOU ARE PLACED IN A WORK RELATED ACTIVITY GROUP

You may be placed in a WRAG if it is thought you can return to work within a matter of months.

The amount of benefit you receive will not be affected at first.

You will be invited to attend regular interviews to find ways to 'help' you back to work.

You will be informed that if you do not attend the interviews your benefits may be affected.

Contact Job Centre Plus and ask them what points you were awarded during the WCA.

Ask to see your report.

Ask for an appeal form.

These enquiries alone may be sufficient for the Decision Maker to find in your favour and place you in the Employment Support Allowance Support Group where no back to work interviews are required and the amount of benefits you receive may increase.

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