Benefit cuts blind man committed suicide after Atos ruled him fit to work

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Desperate: Tim Salter killed himself after his benefits were slashed following an Atos fitness to work test
A depressed blind man killed himself after he was left penniless because his benefits were slashed, an inquest heard

Desperate Tim Salter struggled to even feed himself when controversial private firm Atos ruled he was fit for work, despite his failing eyesight.

The 53-year-old, who also suffered agoraphobia, was about to be kicked out of his housing association home when he hanged himself in the hall.

A coroner ruled the Government’s decision to axe Tim’s meagre incapacity benefit contributed to his death.

And the former assistant store manager’s sister Linda Cooksey told how his fitness to work test was carried out by a physiotherapist with no ­experience of mental health issues or knowledge of his blindness.



Sister: Linda Cooksey
Jon Fuller Rowell/ Daily Mirror
The 60-year-old said his family never even knew about his money problems until after his death.

She added: ­“Stopping his ­benefits sent him over the edge. When his small savings ran out he got in trouble with his rent, and his £30 disability allowance a week just wasn’t enough.

"Tim ran out of money. He was a proud man and never let on to anybody. It’s so sad. I want everyone to know what this government is doing to ­vulnerable people on benefits.

“He had a certificate to say he was blind. When we got into his house there was no food, he practically starved in the last weeks.”

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South Staffordshire coroner Andrew Haigh said: “A major factor in his death was that his benefits had been greatly reduced leaving him almost destitute.”

Tim died on September 25.

An eviction letter from South ­Staffordshire Housing ­Association was found in the bin by his family.

He was registered partially-blind in 1994. His eyes were damaged when he tried to kill himself in 1989 after losing his job.

His family has written to David Cameron about his Atos treatment.

The housing association insisted help was available for those ­struggling to pay rent.

And the ­Department for Work and Pensions said Tim had the right to appeal its decision.

Verdict: Suicide.



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    Bastards serving a     Evil RW coalition government.

Beekeeper wrote:

PhilDidge wrote:
Why should they be sacked if the decision was correct, I have seen no person in a medical position state otherwise in the article, did you? The system is not perfect and again needs some work done on this, but the issue here is on whether it was the right decision and even then people can make mistakes, as plenty of GP's do each year with wrong diagnoses

  

BUT the ATOS "decision" wasn't "correct" in the slightest, Didge ! Everybody involved in "ATOS" should be sacked, and all government contracts pulled..

THERE were NO GP's nor specialists involved on ATOS's part, 'Didge ~ a contracted physiotherapist carried out the "suitability for work" "test", ignoring his specialists' certificates and actual conditions, as well as his GP ! And then an ATOS clerk signs off on his fate..
OH ~ and a coroner is a medical specialist TOO, Didge !

WHAT work is he supposed to do when the work simply ISN'T there, Didge ?  IT IS a fact of life that there are only 20% of the required job vacancies for disabled people ~ Wherever you go to in this world..    

NOT only was he partially blind, with degenerating eyesight, plus suffering from agoraphobia and depression ~ and the fact that he didn't access the help that was available should have sent warnings to those authorities, as it was an indicator of more serious mental issues fomenting in the background ~ but instead they elected to "punish" him, by severely restricting his income !

Something DEFINITELY stinks in a system where a government chooses to "help" the disabled by forcing them to "find" non-existent "work", and then cuts their income to below sustenance, when they are unable to find that non-existent work that the 'Minister for Screwing Over Welfare Recipients and Kicking Cripples' insists is out there !    

Well said Bee.

I dont know how many times ATOS have been shown to be incompetent and incapable and downright cruel.

Catman wrote:

BigAndy9 wrote:



Arguments don't end with cuts and black eyes.

Well that's the stress that ATOS medicals bring.

Stress or no stress Phil, it doesn't excuse Doug's behaviour. I hope you guys sort things out, you can't allow him to treat you like that   

feelthelove wrote:

Catman wrote:

Well that's the stress that ATOS medicals bring.

Stress or no stress Phil, it doesn't excuse Doug's behaviour.  I hope you guys sort things out, you can't allow him to treat you like that   

We are working through it, you don't throw away a fourteen year old relationship lightly, and i'm prepared to let THIS one go.

Catman wrote:

feelthelove wrote:

Stress or no stress Phil, it doesn't excuse Doug's behaviour.  I hope you guys sort things out, you can't allow him to treat you like that   

We are working through it, you don't throw away a fourteen year old relationship lightly, and i'm prepared to let THIS one go.

Just keep yourselves safe Phil, it's not good for either of you   

feelthelove wrote:

Catman wrote:

We are working through it, you don't throw away a fourteen year old relationship lightly, and i'm prepared to let THIS one go.

Just keep yourselves safe Phil, it's not good for either of you   

It isn't.

I just want 7th Jan over ASAP now.

    

....He's very happy to look at the individual case, then to ignore it.

Tory scum.