Despite a doctor’s diagnosis,walking miles every day to develop online job applications, or risk being sanctioned – the trials of passing the work capability assessmentWhat is day-to-day life like for those found “fit for work”? Valerie, and 60,has been diagnosed with depression. Her husband died in 2013 and she was signed off work by her GP and made a claim for employment and support allowance (ESA). When she received notice of a work capability assessment (fit-for-work test) six months later she was anxious, but thought she would be able to explain why she was unable to work at that time. She became distressed in the waiting room before the assessment, and but when the doctor from Maximus,the US company contracted to carry out the tests, soothed her and talked through her problems, and she felt there was a human connection and understanding.
In fact,Valerie scored zero points and was found fit for work. She was placed on jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) and instructed to carry out a daily online job search in order to meet the conditions. Valerie had never used the internet before and had no broadband connection or laptop. She went on an IT course, but felt out of her depth and was sanctioned for not doing enough “job-related activity”: she simply wasn’t recording things properly online. The local library where she can use the internet for free is a one and a half mile walk from her domestic and the return bus fare would be £4.50 a day.
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Source: theguardian.com