It has come into the news more and more recently that the government here in the UK should reveal the figures that they have, which are to do with how many people have died within a certain time period after their benefits have been stopped. It is a complex topic to approach, so i'll try to explain things as best I can on here.
Ian Duncan Smith is the leader of the Department of Work and Pensions or DWP for short. This government department is currently the one in legal battles, trying to avoid releasing the figures, since their was an outcry after the last figures released a number of years ago, revealed 1,300 people had died after having had their benefits stopped.
Within the DWP theres many different types of benefits and many different types of stoppages of benefits, so here's some below.
The DWP manage a brand called the "Job centre plus", these deal mainly with the un-employed, here's how their benefits can be stopped.
3 length types of benefit stoppages.
4 week, 13 weeks or 26 weeks (upto 3 years).
These are done on a scale, but will not only have an impact on the persons physical income, but the DWP will inform whoever they can that you are not entitled to any other form of benefit including housing benefit. This means when you are placed into a sanction period, you will have no income and your rent will not be covered. Meaning, the landlord will still want to be paid, but how, when you have no income, is a question the DWP refuse to answer.
You can have your benefits stopped via the Job centre if you don't receive your post, as I know personally. Other reasons have included attending a funeral, attending a job interview and looking for too many jobs.
The DWP also over-see's the DLA, which is what disabled people claim as they are not fit for work, or need extra funds to help them live day to day with extra costs for care etc.
DLA has been stopped for people claiming it as most claimants of this benefit will be able to tell you of the ATOS fit for work interview. ATOS was a French company the british government hired to find if people were genuine in their claim for this benefit and to see if any could actually be working. They were told to be tough and their actions have themselves caused deaths.
The amount of deaths caused by this colaberation has never been revealed, I personally feel its because it is a high figure. The press over time have revealed some of these deaths, but not all. For example, an ex-nurse with slipped disc's in her spine, was declaired fit for work, even though her movement is painful and I would presume her doctor would have ordered rest.
The stoppage of this DLA benefit isn't in a set time period. I have heard of cases where people have been told they will need to attend a meeting and until the meeting has been conducted, they will not receive their benefit, then been placed on a waiting list, sometimes waiting over a year. I have heard too many cases of people being declaired fit for work, and dying as a result, either by their benefit being stopped, or other means, as their life becomes un-liveable.
There's also been "errors" on both sides too, DLA and the job centre plus have, from time to time, had to apologise as a wrong decision was made, although in most cases, this decision comes too late as the person has already died.
The appeals process is a joke, i'm not even going to get started on that, just take it from me, it's pathetic.
The end result is that yes, the public are not going to be happy. The benefit system is their to support people during difficult times and yet, the people running it are literally killing people, so we, the public, want to know how many.
This is why I URGE you to CLICK HERE and sign the petition and call for the government to make these figures public. We have been promised for years that we will have a see-through style government and this is yet another example of how things are being hidden from us, not for our own good, but for them to hide the ugly truth.
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