One quarter of fit-for-work assessment centres inaccessible

In evidence to the Work and Pensions Select Committee this morning, Employment Minister Mark Hoban has said that Atos assessment centres lack disabled access at a quarter of its premises. He told MPs that 31 of 123 centres run by Atos lacked ground-floor access for wheelchairs.

Six centres in particular had “terrible” problems, causing almost three-quarters of case backlogs by failing to inform applicants and arrange enough home visits instead. The six centres - in Croydon, Ealing, Birmingham, Luton, Mansfield and Norwich - were responsible for 73% of the case backlog.

One MP called the situation “potty”.

For the BBC story, see Work test centres ‘lack disabled access’

We cover the Norwich area & I (when possible) will attend the medical assessments with particularly vulnerable clients.

On more than one occasion over the past 5/6 years, I have witnessed other client’s who are wheelchair users being asked by the receptionists ” In the event of a fire, could you get yourself down the 3 flights of stairs”.... The last time I was privy to this was several weeks ago- the customer said “yeah sure, because I just sit in this for the fun of it”. The customer was then told that the nearest venue to them that had disabled access was Ipswich - some 44 miles away!

I do wonder if Norwich will change their venue in time for the PIP’s assessments, otherwise it will be total chaos!

One can hardly believe that given all the equality legislation that there are still venues used by ATOS which are inaccessible. It’s crying out for a legal challenge.

A client of mine singlehandedly got her bank branch made accessible by writing and threatening legal action and moving her account, so it can be done.

And ATOS had the gall to sponsor the Paralympics on the grounds that they support inclusion of people with a disability!

In humour as an Ipswich resident, I’m glad to see that for once Ipswich does something better than Norwich.

The old pneumoconiosis panel in Cardiff used to be on the 3rd floor of a building with no lift.  It was widely believed that if you made it to the panel you’d lost.