(UK) ATOS administrator calls disabled "Parasitic W**nkers"

[SilverbladeTE]

think this pretty much proves the point myself and others have been going on about, how the disabled are being villified and the evil health insurance companies etc are pushing us towards a nazi-like state of affairs.

The Facebook page of the ATOS administrator discovered calling the sick and disabled "Parasitic Wankers" has been forwarded to the NWCAC.

Anthony Treasure quickly deleted his Facebook presence on Sunday morning after Plymouth based disability activist and former soldier, Stuart Wyatt discovered his comments.

Quickly his open Facebook wall filled up with howls of protest from the disabled:

"Hello Mr Treasure.

I've emailed that screenshot of you calling disabled people 'parasitic wankers' (Tell me does the term 'parasitic wankers' also apply to servicemen and women who've lost limbs? ) to your vicious, morally bankrupt employers - who've been persecuting the sick and disabled for years... to the Guardian, Independent, and the Mirror.

Unfortunately for you, your schoolboy error has gone viral and the last thing your criminal employers need is more bad publicity, so at least you'll now know what it feels is like to be unemployed, abandoned and helpless by the end of the week.

Welcome to the parasitic wankers club... Neena Agnihotri"

"Can i also add that my "parasitic wanker" has 4 children who are all drafting letters to your bosses as i type this... Ben Polkey"

Atos received many complaints first thing on Monday morning and claim to be taking the matter seriously.

Treasure's remarks have unpleasant echoes of pre-war Germany, and the news is even being reported in Japan

ATOS was the private company, a splinter group of UNUM, brought in by the UK government to take over medical work for the government and screening of those claiming disability welfare.
I, like many others was all of a sudden, denied benefit by those assholes.
One woman who worked for the Employment agency (how ironic) was declared unfit for her work by ATOS and fired
Then when she applied for welfare, she was told she was "fit enough to work, so, no welfare!" again, by ATOS
What did she have? M.E.
.

 

[jimells]

Yes, it's true, I'm a wanker, especially since I came home to a 'Dear John' letter. Why should I deny it?

But that 'parasitic' thing -- now them's fightin' words!

 

[alex3619]

Hi, such comments as made by Treasure need to be independently verified - but having said that these types of comments come as no surprise. There are more and more reasons to think that agencies like ATOS have a culture of strong anti-disability bias. They are supposed to assess the disabled objectively - such bias is therefore equivalent to discrimination. If this culture is at the top, the entire organization is probably compromised. The entire thing should be scrapped. Bye, Alex

 

[ixchelkali]

Second one this week: the other was an ATOS assessor who called the clients she assesses for disability "down and outers." http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2011/08/atos-worker-laughs-at-down-and.html

I don't suppose the BBC will be covering this.

 

[Battery Muncher]

Thanks for flagging this up Silverblade.

Sadly, this is no surprise at all.

 

[Ocean]

I've dealt with UNUM is the U.S. They make me sick. So sad to hear the UK government put them in charge of disability benefits.

 

[Tristen]

I've dealt with UNUM is the U.S. They make me sick. So sad to hear the UK government put them in charge of disability benefits.

Who uses UNUM in the US? Hopefully not Social Security Disability.

 

[Ocean]

It was through private disability insurance, Tristen. Thankfully not SSDI! I wish no one would use them though, employers or government.

 

[jimells]

My former partner worked for the county of Santa Barbara CA for years and years, paying premiums to UNUM for disability the whole time. When she got sick they denied her claim, of course. She was too sick to fight it.

I vaguely recall that there was a class action suit against them for denying claims, and they lost.

 

[Ocean]

I had the same experience as your former partner Jimells . IMO they are an awful company. They buy out other insurance companies a lot too, so there are fewer and fewer left that are not UNUM it seems.

 

[Firestormm]

Silverblade,

Would you have a link to what has been said please? Not doubting you - just would like a link. Thanks.

 

[SilverbladeTE]

Firestormm
http://azvsas.blogspot.com/2011/08/atos-administrator-calls-disabled.html

it's the mindset that shows the issue...

 

[Firestormm]

Thanks Silver.