Thread by @docrussjackson

80,000 PIP decisions overturned last year - during the pandemic.

That's not 'human error' - it's systematic, state-sanctioned cruelty, & the deliberate persecution of some of Britain's most vulnerable people.

Utterly despicable. 🤬

https://twitter.com/Independent/status/1495784738933587982

In 2018 the Tory govt admitted they spent £200million fighting to stop people getting sickness & disability benefits: at least 4,600 disabled people were wrongly stripped of their benefits & it was found guilty by the UN of “grave & systematic violations” against disabled people.

As long ago as 2016, it was widely reported that a UN inquiry concluded that #austerity policies introduced into welfare and social care by the UK Tory government amount to “systematic violations” of the rights of people with disabilities.

theguardian.com/business/2016/…

The UN report said a range of measures aimed at reducing public spending since 2010, including controversial changes such as the bedroom tax, & cuts to disability benefits & social care budgets, had disproportionately & adversely affected disabled people.

ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CR…

New data shows the cost of PIP reviews has risen by 26% in the last two years, despite the fact that the number of reviews carried out by the DWP decreased by 23% over the same period.

mirror.co.uk/money/thousand…

Claimants who wish to appeal a PIP decision, which are based on assessments by two private corporations - Capita (the UK's largest outsourcing & professional services company in the UK) & French multinational giant ATOS - must first appeal through the DWP's internal process.

The rate at which these appeals have led to a decision being reversed has surged from 46,580 of 236,720 3 years ago to 78,390 of 182,880 last year. In 2021 the @DailyMirror reported that 90% of veterans who try to claim PIP for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are rejected.

As if all this isn't bad enough, in September 2021 it was reported by the Law Society that for those appealing welfare decisions, legal aid & advice is rarely available, adding even greater stress & turmoil to many already facing difficult circumstances.

lawsociety.org.uk/campaigns/lega…

Data from the Legal Aid Agency directory of providers (February 2021) & the ONS (2021) found that in England & Wales, 78% of the population do not have access to a welfare legal aid provider, leaving them unable to challenge or appeal decisions.

#ToryBritain is broken.

Jobseekers are expected to travel for three hours/day for work or face benefit sanctions under new Universal Credit rules.

The Govt expects people to take a job that requires travelling the equivalent of Birmingham to London, each way, or be sanctioned.

mirror.co.uk/news/politics/…