It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids

Steve Griffiths is a campaigner against the vilification and impoverishment of people who are unable to work due to sickness or disability

Iain-Duncan-Smith The regular DWP press release on the outcome of employment and support allowance assessments by the much-criticised Atos will appear at the end of the month.

As they do every quarter, they will use statistical misrepresentation and errors in law to claim that the vast majority of people claiming ESA are found ‘fit for work’.

This will unleash a storm of fact-twisting media vilification of people who are sick or disabled and unable to work, like this one from the Express last year, claiming ‘75 per cent on sick are skiving’:

In a shocking indictment of the ‘sick note’ culture endemic across the country, the number of invalid claims is estimated to cost taxpayers £9 billion a year.

Officials who carried out fitness tests on people claiming incapacity-related benefits found that 39 per cent were well enough to get a job. And a further 36 per cent simply abandoned their claims as soon as they were told to undergo new work capability assessments introduced to weed out scroungers.

Less spittle-flecked publications across the board will claim, like the BBC, that:

‘Only seven per cent of people claiming sickness benefits were unable to do any sort of work … new figures have shown’.

But the DWP press release opens with a mis-statement of the legislation:

‘The figures also show that a further 17 per cent can do some work with the right help and support’.

This interprets those assessed as belonging to the ESA work related activity group are as having been found ‘fit for work’. Yet the legislation states clearly that people qualify for ESA, including the work related activity group, because it is ‘unreasonable to expect them to work’ because of their ‘physical or mental condition’. It is a misrepresentation that goes unchallenged almost daily.

Secondly, the 36 per cent whose claim was ‘abandoned’ before their assessment was complete are routinely represented as found ‘fit for work’.

Now the insinuation, picked up by the Express story and many others responding to ministers’ dog-whistle, is that though they were not actually assessed, since they were about to be found out by the new and rigorous work capability assessment, these cowardly skivers withdrew their claim before the assessment.

We are not talking about journalists who are likely to be hugely persuaded by evidence, so we would not expect them to pick up on research published by the DWP itself (pdf) this year on that very question:

Most of the interviewees in this research whose claim had been closed or withdrawn before it was fully assessed said they had ended their ESA claim as their health condition had improved.

Examples of the types of conditions that had improved included diabetes, mental health problems, including stress and depression, and conditions alleviated by routine operations.

These people tended to be working or looking for work, often in the same type of work as they had done before, though not commonly with the same employer’.

In other words, most people discontinuing their claims just got better. Eureka. We await the front page headlines across the tabloids.

That seems to give the proportions found fit for work a bit of tweak downwards: from the DWP’s supposition of 13 out of 14, to six in ten if we exclude those not assessed at all.

The remainder who are indeed found technically fit for work have been subject to an assessment process which has been widely criticised by charities, campaigners and academics, though by few politicians since both main parties have been heavily implicated in the marketisation of the regime – it was John Hutton and James Purnell, after all, who embedded David Freud, Channel Tunnel finance deal-broker, at the helm.

The flawed process of assessment has resulted in an extraordinary rate of success in appeals against disallowance of about 40 per cent, not just since ESA was introduced, but over the full fifteen years of welfare ‘reform’. These are levels of successful appeal that would be intolerable in the criminal justice system.

But in the case of welfare, once known as ‘social security’ but no longer for obvious reasons, normal standards of evidence on the part of the media-political complex that governs us have long been thrown overboard. It is a point brought home powerfully by this month’s exposure (“Responsible Reform”) of government abuse of the process of consultation on DLA reform.

Those in power have had it easy with an unchallenged quarterly open goal of ESA statistics which is way offside. It’s starting to gain the seasonal quality of a deep-rooted cultural event, the gentlemen of the press primed by ministers to put the boot in on people who are sick or disabled, watched by the New Labour politicians who kicked it all off, unsure whether it’s still all right to join in.

See also:

• Employment minister Chris Grayling does not appear to understand his own disability reforms – Daniel Elton, January 13th 2012

• Five reasons to oppose the welfare bill – Daniel Elton, December 12th 2011

• Last chance to have your say on Employment Support Allowance – Sue Marsh, April 11th 2011

• ESA cuts will exacerbate poverty and remove help for disabled – Neil Coyle, March 8th 2011

• Report finds disabled “wrongly denied” benefit – Sarah Ismail, March 23rd 2010

http://twitter.com/bendygirl/status/160306350843371520 BendyGirl

It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloi, writes @Steve_Griffiths: http://t.co/qnzWdINJ #spartacusreport
http://twitter.com/sanjayshukla12/status/160306509958492160 sanjay kumar shukla

It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloi, writes @Steve_Griffiths: http://t.co/qnzWdINJ #spartacusreport
http://twitter.com/poutingpou/status/160306572164202497 Kyron Hodgetts

It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloi, writes @Steve_Griffiths: http://t.co/qnzWdINJ #spartacusreport
http://twitter.com/yorkierosie/status/160308137956610048 #pressreform

It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids, writes @Steve_Griffiths: http://t.co/qnzWdINJ #SpartacusReport
http://twitter.com/marc_bush/status/160308220282421249 Dr Marc Bush

@MT @leftfootfwd: It’s nearly time 4 @dwppressoffice quarterly love-in with tabloids @Steve_Griffiths http://t.co/7y7YrwSi > great piece
http://twitter.com/falseecon/status/160308682213687296 False Economy

It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids, writes @Steve_Griffiths: http://t.co/Ny6Zz2Ho (via @leftfootfwd)
http://twitter.com/asitseemstome/status/160309176566951936 Fiona McMahon

It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids, writes @Steve_Griffiths: http://t.co/Ny6Zz2Ho (via @leftfootfwd)
http://twitter.com/judgemenot69/status/160309292266823681 Neil Courtman

It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids, writes @Steve_Griffiths: http://t.co/qnzWdINJ #SpartacusReport
http://twitter.com/pulpark/status/160310239802048512 Pulp Ark

It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in… http://t.co/sZWTK5GZ #A_Britain_We_All_Call_Home #Chris_Grayling #muslim #tcot #sioa
http://twitter.com/politicalplanet/status/160310601468481536 Political Planet

It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids: In advance of the DWP releasing heavily-spun… http://t.co/TfzKhpb7
hindle-a

Francesca Martinez: “morally disabled Government”
http://twitter.com/britishroses1/status/160311954991362048 BevR

It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids, writes @Steve_Griffiths: http://t.co/qnzWdINJ #SpartacusReport
http://twitter.com/patronpress/status/160312089284579328 Patron Press – #P2

#UK : It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/j6GEZmGu
http://twitter.com/simonbarrow/status/160312196293853184 Simon Barrow

#UK : It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/j6GEZmGu
http://twitter.com/leftlinks/status/160320390617509888 leftlinks

Left Foot Forward – It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/ZuYSMIbl
http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/160321595171274752 Shamik Das

It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids, writes @Steve_Griffiths: http://t.co/qnzWdINJ #SpartacusReport
http://twitter.com/britishroses1/status/160326517753262082 BevR

RT @leftfootfwd: It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/8lTWUCfF
http://twitter.com/avichai15/status/160327519827017729 Paul McGlynn

RT @leftfootfwd: It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/u5P5otGV
Sarah Campbell

I was once one of those people who “abandoned” their ESA claim. I had at the time been forced to make it as after 6 months my SSP had run out. 2 months after that I happily returned to work as I had got better. I therefore withdrew my claim. This was a few weeks before I received a letter calling me for a medical.

Would critics have preferred me to throw in my job, falsely continue claiming ESA even though I was now fit for work again and gone to the medical?
http://twitter.com/subimaginati/status/160374073887703040 Dawn Mckenna

RT @leftfootfwd: It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/yMqCIRKX
http://twitter.com/lilacwheelz/status/160374396186398721 Lilacwheelz

RT @leftfootfwd: It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/yMqCIRKX
http://twitter.com/rflowerpot/status/160377411710615552 little red flowerpot

RT @leftfootfwd: It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/VPfs3w7Q
http://twitter.com/patrickjbutler/status/160382166751129600 Patrick Butler

RT @leftfootfwd: It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/yMqCIRKX
http://twitter.com/postpolionews/status/160408686618091521 Chris Salter

RT @leftfootfwd: It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/nVZ5xNsC #ppnews #wrb #spartacusreport
http://twitter.com/fibromitesunite/status/160414206489927680 M Thomson Fibromite

RT @leftfootfwd: It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/nVZ5xNsC #ppnews #wrb #spartacusreport
Norma

I have agoraphobia due to having been in a very violent marriage which culminated in my then husband attacking me with an axe. I am slowly recovering and can now get out locally but ALWAYS accompanied by my friend. I ticked the box which states this on the questionnaire and confirmed it to the NURSE (not mental health) who performed my assessment. I failed receiving 0 points. In my medical report the nurse has stated that I was able to get to a place I DID NOT KNOW ON MY OWN! I also have arthritis of the spine (I am 56) for which I take the max dose of Tramadol and paracetamol everyday. There is no mention of Tramadol in the report just the paracetamol, and the nurse stated that I take a “mild” painkiller!
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/01/look-left-20-01-12/ Look Left – The human cost of the government’s inhumane welfare reforms | Left Foot Forward

[...] week on Left Foot Forward, we’ve got Steve Griffiths on the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids; Anjuli Veall, social policy and campaigns [...]
http://twitter.com/spartacustweets/status/160423662980317185 Cat

(DWP) will use statistical misrepresentation and errors in law to claim that the vast majority of people claiming… http://t.co/lwFMreMr
http://twitter.com/ligomersall/status/160442690973073409 liane gomersall

RT @leftfootfwd: It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/D4q3FHAE
Arecbalrin

As far as I’m aware, the proportion of those who closed their claim before being assessed by the WCA is roughly the same as those under Incapacity Benefit. There has been no change there.

It might also explain why despite the national roll-out of the IB to ESA transfers beginning in February(or April) 2011, hardly anyone had actually been assessed and transferred. Instead of Atos increasing their workload to 11,000 per week as was predicted, it actually dropped closer to 11,000 per month and only a handful of them were IB-ESA transition cases.

This is why we are starting to hear insinuations from certain sections of the media that the roll-out is going to happen ‘sometime soon’ even though it has already happened. I think the government is going to pretend it hasn’t happened and then relaunch it as soon as Atos sort themselves out.

Mason Dixon, Autistic
http://twitter.com/catherinemoll/status/160474313860984832 Catherine Mollona

RT @leftfootfwd: It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/9AyB7aYr
http://twitter.com/barsacq/status/160507076966236160 Richard McCarthy

RT @leftfootfwd: It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/yMqCIRKX
http://twitter.com/oilywaters/status/160735338006978560 H. O.

RT @leftfootfwd: It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids http://t.co/jcSFD5Qx
http://twitter.com/poutingpou/status/161407272944283648 Kyron Hodgetts

It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids, writes @Steve_Griffiths: http://t.co/qnzWdINJ #SpartacusReport
http://twitter.com/djmgaffneyw4/status/162063412644425728 Declan Gaffney

As predicted & pre-emptively refuted by Steve Griffiths http://t.co/zNmV71jd, gross distortion of ESA data in Mail http://t.co/kEOVKBmb
http://twitter.com/queerpup/status/162078816850817025 Robin

As predicted & pre-emptively refuted by Steve Griffiths http://t.co/zNmV71jd, gross distortion of ESA data in Mail http://t.co/kEOVKBmb
http://twitter.com/frdragonspouse/status/162078940247236608 Jill Hayward

As predicted & pre-emptively refuted by Steve Griffiths http://t.co/zNmV71jd, gross distortion of ESA data in Mail http://t.co/kEOVKBmb
http://twitter.com/sdbast/status/162079568428146688 sean bastable

As predicted & pre-emptively refuted by Steve Griffiths http://t.co/zNmV71jd, gross distortion of ESA data in Mail http://t.co/kEOVKBmb
http://twitter.com/daz_sheldon/status/162094893915836417 Darren Bartlett

As predicted & pre-emptively refuted by Steve Griffiths http://t.co/zNmV71jd, gross distortion of ESA data in Mail http://t.co/kEOVKBmb
http://twitter.com/network2012/status/162109339421769728 Martin

As predicted & pre-emptively refuted by Steve Griffiths http://t.co/zNmV71jd, gross distortion of ESA data in Mail http://t.co/kEOVKBmb
http://twitter.com/welfareadvocacy/status/163057124962877441 Welfare Advocate

It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in report on Atos's ESA Assessments. http://t.co/hhgiMn4l
http://twitter.com/tonethetree/status/163057895473291264 Les Tricoteuses

It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in with the tabloids | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/WqVtwylx
http://twitter.com/sectioned_/status/163077558643068929 Mental Health

"@WelfareAdvocacy: It’s nearly time for the DWP’s quarterly love-in report on Atos's ESA Assessments. http://t.co/BM6IfkMH" Great IDS photo!