Respect says: Join the protest outside the ATOS Centre in Manchester 12 Noon, Tuesday 28th August
Albert Bridge House, Bridge St. Manchester M60 9DA
Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) have called a week of action against ATOS – lead sponsors of the paralympics. ATOS is the company most responsible for driving through the most brutal cuts devastating the lives of disabled people.
Manchester Coalition Against Cuts are backing DPAC by helping with the Manchester protest, one of a series to be held outside ATOS medical Assessment centres across the country.
Recent media coverage has exposed that the goal of Work Capability Assessments (WCA) conducted by ATOS is to reduce the numbers of people claiming disability benefits. The Government even admits that the tests are “flawed” and the British Medical Association demand that they should “end immediately”.
But for ruthlessly pursuing the Tory plans to throw 500,000 people off disability benefits, ATOS have been rewarded with gold. As well as being handed lucrative sponsorship deals for both the Olympics and even more perversely, the Paralympics, ATOS has recently won £400m worth of public money to carry out assessments for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) that will replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) next year.
The consequences of ATOS tests are tragic.
People have taken their own lives rather the face the severe hardship and poverty that comes with being passed fit-for-work by ATOS. More than 1,000 people have died of their illnesses shortly after being passed “fit for Work”.
Respect candidate Kate Hudson, said: “These attacks on disabled people are a complete disgrace and must end immediately. I fully support this week of action against ATOS. The Respect Party opposes these brutal and inhumane cuts and pledges to fight to overturn them. We fight for a society organised to benefit every single one of us, for improvements to everyone’s quality of life, and to end this onslaught that is already having such tragic consequences.”
The DPAC site will be updated regularly with more details about the ATOS Games.
Video of the last protest