Disabled man starved to death after benefits cut when Atos declared him fit for work Feb 28, 2014 20:08
By Vicky Smith
76 Comments
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/polit ... th-3194250
Starved: Mark WoodDisabled Mark Wood starved to death four months after his benefits were cut, an inquest heard.
The “frail and vulnerable” 44-year-old weighed just 5st 8lbs when he was found.
He had been declared fit to work by Atos, leaving him struggling to survive on just £40 a week, despite numerous health problems.[The bastards who run this repulsive firm should be in jail for manslaughter, as should the loathsome politicians who employ them. (WTF is the law for?)]
Mark died at his home in Bampton –
part of David Cameron’s Oxfordshire constituency – in August last year.
He had Asperger syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder, in addition to cognitive behavioural problems, including a phobia of certain foods.
His GP Nicolas Ward told Oxford coroners court yesterday: “He was an extremely fragile individual who was coping with life.
"Something pushed him or affected him in the time before he died and the only thing I can put my finger on is the pressure he felt when his benefits were removed.”
Dr Ward added that he had not been contacted by Atos – the French-based firm that carries out benefit assessments – or the Department for Work and Pensions about his patient’s medical history.
He told the court that, had he been asked, he would have ruled him unfit for work.
Following last April’s assessment, Mark, described as “gentle and sweet”, lost his housing benefit and employment support, leaving him just £40 a week disability allowance – not even enough to cover his rent or utility bills.
Mark’s mum Jill Gant, from Abingdon, said the family knew nothing of his money problems until a few weeks before his death.
She gave him £250, but said that by then it was too late.
Mark’s sister Cathie Wood, 48, of North Oxford, said: “When the police found him, there was very little food in the house, just half a banana and a tin of tuna.”
She added: “Atos are completely to blame.
"Anyone who knew Mark’s complex problems would see he couldn’t work. ”
She added: “I’d like David Cameron and his Government to be aware of the personal cost of their policies and how they are affecting real people and causing real heartache.”
In a narrative verdict, Coroner Darren Salter said it was likely that Mark’s food phobias contributed to his death.
A spokesman for Atos Healthcare said: “We carry out assessments as professionally and compassionately as possible.”
A DWP spokesman added: “A decision on whether someone is well enough to work is taken only after thorough assessment.”
Tom Pollard, Policy and Campaigns Manager at Mind, said: “We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of Mark Wood.
“Unfortunately this tragic case is
not an isolated incident. We hear too often how changes to benefits are negatively impacting vulnerable individuals, who struggle to navigate a complex, and increasingly punitive, system.
“We know the assessment process for those applying for Employment and Support Allowance is very stressful, and too crude to accurately assess the impact a mental health problem has on someone’s ability to work.
“This leads to people not getting the right support and being put under excessive pressure which can make their health worse and push them further from the workplace.
“We urgently need to see a complete overhaul of the system, to ensure nobody else falls through the cracks.”
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/polit ... th-3194250 
, we (the UK) are so skint, we can't even afford to keep our National road network maintained any more. This is not looking good. I'm sure I read somewhere recently that Queenie is down to her last mill. Probably did it on purpose to deny Charlie an inheritance. Good grief woman, that's spiteful.
