A funny thing happened on the way to the tribunal…..

Last Updated: April 24, 2014By

Here’s a different perspective on yesterday’s (Wednesday) tribunal on sickness benefit deaths, from the only other person qualified to provide details on the subject – Glynis Millward, my ‘McKenzie friend’ at the hearing.
Whereas I concentrated on the details of the issue at hand, she discusses some of the interesting things that happened around what we were doing, at least one of which she took as a good omen.

11 Comments

  1. […] A funny thing happened on the way to the tribunal…… […]

  2. ispy April 25, 2014 at 8:11 am - Reply

    Here are some figures about the deaths of ATOS victims declared fit-for-work:

    http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/con-dems-admit-1300-people-told-3453161

    It is also absurd beyond measure that death merchants ATOS are sponsoring the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow!

    • Mike Sivier April 25, 2014 at 8:22 am - Reply

      Those are the January-November 2011 figures that we already had. It is beyond ridiculous that the government is still trotting them out, almost two-and-a-half years after they were collected.

  3. Barry Davies April 25, 2014 at 9:54 am - Reply

    When are you likely to get the results of the ribunal Mike, and did they give you any indication of what it may be?

    • Mike Sivier April 25, 2014 at 9:57 am - Reply

      The judge said he hoped to get a decision back to me within three weeks. It would have been inappropriate to suggest what the decision might be.

  4. jess April 25, 2014 at 2:03 pm - Reply

    I would endorse the remarks from JK over at Mike’s account of the tribunal.

    If neither the DWP or ICO offered no evidence to refute Mike’s case [And I am sure he would have mentioned it if they had offered a written submission] he has won his case.

    But I am intrigued by the appearance of the LIbdem MP

    Pure chance? Maybe.

    • Mike Sivier April 25, 2014 at 2:34 pm - Reply

      Of course they put forward written submissions; if they hadn’t, I would not have had to go to Cardiff and talk to anybody. But written evidence, as I mentioned, is held in much lower regard than verbal evidence.

      • jess April 25, 2014 at 2:53 pm - Reply

        I fully endorse your comments on the value of what they put forward.

        It holds a lot less weight than a personal asubmission.

        But I have been involved with a number of tribunals, at different levels, and it is not unusual for one side to offer nothing at all.

        Having said which, I should offer my congratulations for your courage and tenacity in this matter.

        You have helped an awful lot of people, quite selflessly, with your pursuit of these figures

        Thanks

    • thelovelywibblywobblyoldlady April 25, 2014 at 3:28 pm - Reply

      @Jess Jenny Willott turning up on the eve of the tribunal was an omen Jess; other omens were the fact that the day of the hearing was St Georges day (Mike was of course cast in the role of Dragon Slayer :-)) the fact that DWP/ICO representatives were a no show and last but not least the brilliant sunshine that greeted Mike and I as we walked out of the tribunal venue after it had been raining all morning!

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