Crippen Cartoons cartoons at the cutting edge of disability

Crippen’s Catch 22 cartoon

The thinking behind the ATOS Work Capability Assessment has obviously originated from somebody who is familiar with Joseph Heller’s ‘Catch-22’.

A Catch-22, as most of you will know, is a ‘heads you lose, tails you lose’ situation – there’s no way around a difficulty because of the contradictions within the issue. Often, solving one part of a problem only creates another dilemma … which ultimately leads back to the original problem. And so on. Catch-22s often result from being at the mercy of rules, regulations or procedures over which an individual has no control.

For example, in some cases we’ve heard examples of disabled people being failed just because they were able to make it to the assessment centre. The Catch-22 being that if they can manage to get to the assessment centre (which, if they don’t, will result in a loss of benefits) then they’ve apparently demonstrated that they are fit for work and therefore no longer entitled to benefits! Duh.

It’s a bit like when DLA first came out. If it caught you on a good day, then you were usually assessed as not being eligible, despite the fact that on most days you were incapable of doing the things that you’d been able to do on the ‘good’ day (still with me?). This resulted in disabled people being advised to complete their application forms using their worse case scenario as the yard stick. It made sense, it was understood by everyone and – mostly – it worked.

The ATOS Work Capability Assessment, apart from being ‘not fit for purpose’ has also been loaded with other ‘incentives’, such as the bonus that ATOS receives for every disabled person they take off benefits and by meeting government targets (both denied by ATOS but substantiated by whistle blowers inside of the ATOS organisation).

My cartoon is not all that funny when you realise that this ancient method of assessment could really be the next step …

Crippen’s cartoon about the circling Welfare vultures

You’ll know all about the biggest vulture, I take it? The French company ATOS who’ve had the contract to get as many disabled people off Benefit as they can.

Well, ATOS is now sub contracting out some of its work to other vultures like SALUS (part of NHS Lanarkshire), who have been carrying out PIP consultations on their behalf. So ATOS doesn’t even have to work for all it’s money – it just creams off the profits whilst sub-contractors do the work – all jostling to make large profits from their involvement.

Hang on though … Don’t these profits come out of funding originally allocated for disabled people!

Where’s my bloody bird gun?!

Read more about this in Crippen’s DAO blog

Crippen’s cartoon about the Tory spin on benefit deaths

In my Disability Arts on Line (DAO) blog this week I am looking at the large number of deaths that have arisen amongst disabled people who have been part of the ATOS Healthcare’s Work Capability Assessment process.

The total of 10,600 is a figure that has been released by the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) last week when responding to a freedom of information based enquiry. This is for the period January to November 2011 and averages out to over 70 deaths per week during this period.

Now it could be argued that some of these deaths, let’s be generous and say half, are to be expected as many of the people claiming benefits could be seriously ill or disabled in a way that may result in an early death. But even allowing for this, it is now estimated that some 35 of these deaths per week are as a direct result of people being subject to the actual stress of the assessment process.

In the DAO blog I also include some figures taken from a recent survey amongst GPs in the UK. The survey shows that a percentage of these deaths are as a result of suicide as some disabled people are unable to face the draconion measures that are being employed by ATOS Healthcare.

When I’ve mentioned this to non-disabled people I meet their response is one of disbelief. Surely, they say, such a high amount of deaths would be making headline news in the newspapers and on television?

So, why isn’t it making headline news? If 35 disabled people were shot every week by the government there would be a public outcry and people would demand to know what was happening.

Or would they? After all we’re only disabled people!

Crippen’s cartoon about Workhouses for disabled people

Cameron and his cronies might as well be shouting out loud that they want disabled people off the streets and back into the care homes and institutions that some of us originally fought our way out of.

With a carefully orchestrated hate campaign through the tabloid press, this government have worked hard to convince people that we are work-shy scroungers, with most of us only pretending to be disabled. And described by their role models in former Nazi Germany as ‘useless eaters’, we are therefore the cause of the economic crisis that this country finds itself in.

Along with this trend can we expect to be issued once again with licences to beg and a place found for us in the Workhouse?

Crippen’s Deaths cartoon

OK you bastard, it’s ‘gloves off’ time!

The time has come to take the gloves off with my response to the inhuman treatment of disabled people by David Cameron.

What is it with this man. Has he made some sort of pact with the devil? Has he been offered this meteoric rise to power in exchange for a regular supply of disabled souls? And make no bones about it – disabled people ARE dying out there because of his policies!

Or is he so driven by his loyality to his pay masters that even his own personal experience of losing a disabled child can’t halt his savage attacks upon sick and disabled people?

And what about his cronies. It wasn’t so long ago that they were all attacking Labour for holding an attitude towards disabled people as being ‘scroungers’.

Quentin Davis, Conservative MP and spokesman for social security – and under the guidance of William Hague – told us that “those who are disabled should get the support they need to lead a fulfilling life with dignity. I am proud that we in the Conservative party never thought of taking such measures when we were in power.”

No I’m not making this up. It’s all recorded in Hansard if you care to look.

So what the hell is driving Cameron in this apparent complete turn around in Tory policy. And why are the rest of the government supporting him?!

And by the way, I make no apology for the cartoon that accompanies this blog. Some of you may consider it in the worst possible taste and feel that I’ve over stepped the mark here. But as far as I’m concerned Cameron has crossed a line with regard to his total disregard of disabled people, their families and friends and deserves everything he gets!

Colour me angry …

Crippen’s cartoon about Cameron and Clegg as Crip Catchers

During the early months of their establishment the Coalition government said they would always support those people within our society with the greatest need. This would include those disabled people who chose to live in society rather than in a residential care home or similiar institution. As we now know, they lied.

As well as implimenting the harshest cuts to services that this country has ever seen, branding disabled people as benefit scroungers and a drain upon society and cutting their benefits, in 2010 this same government closed all new applications to the Independent Living Fund (ILF).

The ILF was specifically set up in 1988 to provide funds for disabled people to manage their own care and support. These funds came from a central government pot to aid those with the highest support needs to remain independent. This also resulted in many more disabled people being able to make the choice between living independently in the community or being incarcerated in a residential home.

The recent change not only prevented newly disabled people from accessing this support and choosing to become independent, but it also sent a direct message to those disabled people who were currently benefitting from the fund, that time was running out for them. Without this fund, many disabled people would be unable to continue living independently and would have no choice but to move (or go back) into residential care.

We then learned that the ILF will be discontinued at the end of 2014. This means that most of the 25,000 users of the fund will have to rely on local authorities to make up the money that they need to remain out of institutional care.

Local Authorities, however, already face severe financial cuts and many disabled people have been fighting to ensure their Local Authority maintains their existing support packages. We all know that the chances of cash strapped Councils making up the ILF shortfall are minimal or non-existent.

By the government placing the onus on Local Authorities, many are saying that they will have no choice but to place those who are currently recieving ILF into residential care homes.

Apart from the obvious loss of independence, many disabled people going into institutions run the risk of experiencing physical, mental and sexual abuse – something that has been well documented in recent years.

Another problem is that Local Authorities may only have space within inappropriate care homes, such as those that cater for older people. Again, there is documented evidence of young disabled people having spent their days in such places, separated from their peers and lacking any form of social interaction with other young people.

Currently the main focus of protest at these changes is through the organisation Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC). You can obtain more information and details of how to protest about these proposed changes by clicking here.

Please support other disabled people in making a stand against this latest threat to our rights to have an equal place within society

Crippen’s devil’s work cartoon

Last Thursday in the United States, Virginia Republican State Delegate Bob Marshall spoke at a press conference against state funding for Planned Parenthood. He blasted the organization for supporting a women’s right to choose, saying that God punishes women who have had abortions by giving them disabled children.

This is the sort of thinking that was prevelent in the medieval ages when people believed that having a disabled child was a punishment for, amongst other things, being in league with the devil. And it’s taken a long time, especially in some parts of the world, for these beliefs to change.

Naturally disabled people in the US are up in arms about these latest comments, even those who are against abortion, and are demanding that he stand down.

What’s really frightening though is not only that people in a position of authority can believe this sort of superstitious nonsense, but that they are allowed a platform on which to air it.

It’s not a far step from what our own government are doing to the disabled people of this country – demonising us by persuading people that we Crips are all benefits scroungers, and soley responsible for the current financial crisis!

We need to challenge this sort of thinking wherever we encounter it and not rest until disabled people are no longer scapegoated for society’s ills.

Read more about the fascist thoughts of this US Republican by clicking here.

Crippen’s Inspiration cartoon

Is it just me or is there a blatant contradiction between what this government are actually doing and what they’re saying?!

Having cut just about everything that they could get their hands on, services, funding, etc., they then spend billions putting on this massive feel-good festival called the 2012 London Olympics.

You’ll remember that there’s been a lot of talk about the legacy of the games, hense the strapline – ‘Inspiring a Generation’. All very laudable but …

What about the local infra structure for these ‘inspired’ young wannabe olympic athletes? The truth is that there’s a funding crisis for local sports across the nation. There’s been a mass sell off municipal and school sports facilities, and sport has been chopped from the school curriculum left right and centre.

Legacy? Inspiring a Generation? As I see it, it’s all a facade!

Minister denies ATOS targets

Last night both CH4’s Dispatches and the BBC Panorama programme took Minister Chris Grayling to task for still insisting that the assessment company ATOS had not been set targets regarding the number of people that they should reject for benefits and deem fit for work.

This was something that had been claimed by trainers and doctors working for ATOS and also by disabled people who had been through the assessment process.

Part of the BBC Panorama programme included film of ATOS doctors verifying thast they had been given government targets to meet.

Pants on fire time I think Mr Grayling!

Cheap seats?!

If ever more evidence was needed just how much the big corporation have taken of the Olympic Games just look at the amount of empty seating around the different events.

Thousands of these empty seats have been provided to the various corporations that have ‘sponsored’ this years extravaganza, along with additional free seating for olympic officials.

However a last minute attempt to cover up the fact that most of these VIP seats were remaining empty has resulted in another débâcle. Thousands of seats have now been released by the organisers. The plan being that these seats can be purchased on the internet by ‘ordinary’ punters.

Hang on though. Because you’d have to physically claim your tickets on the same day that you register for them, this means that only people living in or around London need bother (as only they could make this same day deadline!).

And oops! As most of these new seats are in the ‘secure’ areas, there’s no time to impliment background checks on the ordinary people applying!

But who ever suggested that this event was anything other than another corrupt Corporate/Government collaboration?