Government must reveal how many died after being found ‘fit for work’, MP insists

Last Updated: June 18, 2015By

Vox Political welcomes the support of Labour’s Roger Godsiff in the campaign to persuade the Department for Work and Pensions to do the right thing.

Note that, by the time you read this, the petition is likely to have topped 200,000 signatures. Have you added yours yet? Who knows how many it will contain if the DWP insists on taking this to the Information Tribunal?

Roger Godsiff (Lab Birmingham Hall Green) joined more than 120,000 people who have signed a petition to demand that the Government release the figures.

An official watchdog has also ordered it to explain how many people have died after going through a work-capability assessment which ruled they were fit to work.

This would mean the claimant was expected to start looking for a job or take part in training designed to prepare them for employment – and would face the prospect of losing benefits unless they comply.

Campaigner Mike Sivier used the Freedom of Information Act to ask how many people who died between November 2011 and May 2014 had been found “fit for work”, or told they could move towards getting work.

But the Department for Work and Pensions refused his request, saying it was already preparing to publish the information.

Mr Sivier appealed to Information Commissioner Christopher Graham, who ordered civil servants to publish the data within 35 days of his ruling on April 30.

But the Department has instead decided to appeal this ruling.

Source: Government must reveal how many died after being found ‘fit for work’, MP insists – Birmingham Mail

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9 Comments

  1. Adam Clifford June 18, 2015 at 10:58 am - Reply

    If the DWP does not want to publish this information,it must be bad,and reflect badly on them,therefore it can be safely assumed that a worrying number of people died as a result of this policy

  2. Maria June 18, 2015 at 11:03 am - Reply

    I’ve been waiting a long time, you see you shouldn’t need a FOI request if the DWP was responsible they would have been releasing the figures year on year anyway. The longer they hang on to this charade the more evidence builds that they have something to hide.

  3. Nick June 18, 2015 at 11:49 am - Reply

    All of the labour mp’s should be asking for this information and if i were the labour leader i would ban of my mp’s from entering the commons until this information was given and in FULL

    The days of the conservative government and the DWP acting in a manner that boarder a dictatorship and a censorship that includes the deaths of the sick and disabled need to be investigated in their fullest so that prosecutions can be taken out on those that have perpetrated crimes against the sick and disabled that have to led to their deaths while going through welfare reform

    The Facebook page remember the dead has most of the lists of the sick and disabled that have died over the past few years and can be found here
    https://www.facebook.com/ribbonsforwelfare?hc_location=stream

  4. Charles McLaughlin June 18, 2015 at 12:15 pm - Reply

    I D Smith is afraid to admit the suffering his policies have brought to those on benefits

    • Maria June 18, 2015 at 4:24 pm - Reply

      oh I think he knows, he thinks make peoples lives hell and they will get a job. But hat just shows his ignorance in why people are unemployed, which is lack of opportunity, lack of help in some cases extra financial, and other support, and don’t mean the punishment that is currently doled out. There is lack of hours, that employers are willing to exploit the employees by asking them to complete ridiculous targets. Then there is ever decreasing pay, you work long hours and you can’t even afford the basics, can’t afford to travel to work. Then there are people who just simply can’t work, no matter how much they wish to. And unless I.D.S takes these things into account he will find he won’t change a thing, he will achieve making people suffer however and what is the point in that?

      • Nick June 18, 2015 at 6:13 pm - Reply

        People like IDS have not a clue what happens on any topic where the sick or disabled are concerned

        when they themselves go down with a major stroke for example or dementia they then get admitted to a care home where the likes of my wife will then look after them till their death with love and comfort and offer support to their families and friends and even go to the funeral if needed and she’s on the minimum wage

        If IDS could just understand, what sickness or disability means along with what nursing care staff do would be something but with regret he ploughs on in total ignorance of all concerned

        Thankfully, my wife lives far away from him so will never need to look after him in his old age

  5. ispy June 18, 2015 at 1:20 pm - Reply

    One of the early cases I heard about concerned a man in his late fifties who had a stent in his heart. The man visibly struggled for breath and the strength needed to get through his assessment. The next day he had a full-blown heart attack and was rushed to hospital. While there, fighting for his life, the brown envelope arrived announcing he was fit to work.

    Although that man did not die, I’m sure his traumatic experience shortened his life considerably.

    That case is merely one of many, many ludicrous decisions that are being made. In cases where victims actually die, you could not have more proof that wrong decisions have been taken, so it is vital in the public interest for the true figures to be released.

    But will publication halt the deaths – that is the question?

  6. crazytrucker1951 June 19, 2015 at 8:03 pm - Reply

    One piece of good, well goodish news today Frank Field has been voted chairperson of the select committee that hopefully will bring Ian Bunkem Smiff to explain himself?
    Wonder what excuses he’ll use not to face Frank? Frank may be to the centre of the party even though he nominated JC doesn’t mean he’ll vote for him, but give him a cause and like the proverbial Rottie he won’t let go.
    “I vos only vollowing orders!” perhaps?
    “Nanny told me not to play with you rough boys!”?
    “My Officials made me do it!”?
    “They made me do it!”? Meaning Camoron, Osborne and Fatty (See Food And Eat It) Johnson.
    “A big boy did it and ran away!”?
    “I’ve got a headache!”?
    Any better suggestions?

    • Nick June 27, 2015 at 6:51 pm - Reply

      Frank Field can be a very odd person so don’t expect anything from him whatsoever. he can be just as right wing as you can get

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