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| Aditya Chakrabortty’s article (Disabled people have become human collateral in an ideological war, 9 June) is a travesty of the truth. First among a catalogue of inaccuracies is the claim that support made available to some disabled people under the independent living fund is to be removed. Responsibility for providing this support is, in fact, being transferred to local authorities. Far from being taken away, it will be administered in a way better able to take account of variations in local circumstances and services. | |
| Mr Chakrabortty goes on to claim that Atos was commissioned by Iain Duncan Smith in order to test every claimant for employment support allowance and “bring down the bill for disability benefits”. In fact Atos was appointed by the last Labour government and under the coalition there has been significant improvement to the process to provide a better experience for claimants. Far from bringing down any bills, the assessment of claimants ensures fairer outcomes, enables employment support for disabled people who might previously have just been written off, and targets financial help at those with the greatest need. | Mr Chakrabortty goes on to claim that Atos was commissioned by Iain Duncan Smith in order to test every claimant for employment support allowance and “bring down the bill for disability benefits”. In fact Atos was appointed by the last Labour government and under the coalition there has been significant improvement to the process to provide a better experience for claimants. Far from bringing down any bills, the assessment of claimants ensures fairer outcomes, enables employment support for disabled people who might previously have just been written off, and targets financial help at those with the greatest need. |
| Related: Disability minister’s travesty of the truth | Letters | |
| Perhaps the most disingenuous of all Mr Chakrabortty’s allegations is that the government has caused an increase in disability hate crime. It is because of efforts to increase awareness of disability hate crime that these types of offences are now more likely to be reported and are finally being treated with the seriousness they deserve. | Perhaps the most disingenuous of all Mr Chakrabortty’s allegations is that the government has caused an increase in disability hate crime. It is because of efforts to increase awareness of disability hate crime that these types of offences are now more likely to be reported and are finally being treated with the seriousness they deserve. |
| Mr Chakrabortty may feel the only people he is damaging with these falsehoods are ministers like me. But it is high time he realised the effect that his scaremongering might also have on the anxiety levels of some of the most vulnerable disabled people.Justin Tomlinson MPMinister for disabled people | Mr Chakrabortty may feel the only people he is damaging with these falsehoods are ministers like me. But it is high time he realised the effect that his scaremongering might also have on the anxiety levels of some of the most vulnerable disabled people.Justin Tomlinson MPMinister for disabled people |
| • In the year we celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta we have a significant section of the population for whom justice is denied, so that many of them do not have the means to live. Mark Wood, a gentle, artistic, ecologically-minded man with complex needs, died of starvation after Atos found him fit for work and stopped his benefits. This happened in Bampton in 2013, in the heart of David Cameron’s constituency. Mark’s family, with the support of Mind, the mental health charity, have put together in his memory an exhibition of his creative work, which will be showing at Oxford town hall from 27 June to 18 July. The exhibition is free, and we hope that David Cameron and his new minister for disabled people, Justin Tomlinson, will find time to visit it, and perhaps feel some shame.Hilary CaldicottWitney, Oxfordshire |
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