Pictured at the height of summer, Mark’s wildflower meadow, at the bottom of St Ethelwold’s garden, was named after a young man who starved to death after his benefits were cut.
Atos, the company in charge of assessing whether a lot of vulnerable people like Mark should return to work or loose their benefits, lost their government contract by mutual consent. Atos could not make a profit from the contract, and the government received too many complaints about the way cases were handled.
Autumn is now here and just a few flowers remain among the fallen leaves in Mark’s Garden.
The contract will go to a new company in the Spring. A private company needs to make a profit. The government has a political agenda and targets. So it will always be difficult to assess individuals like Mark, who have complex needs, within such a set up where time is money.
This is a contribution to the Blog Action Day on the Theme of Inequality.
What a sad story! Has our MP visited the site and reflected upon HMG’s care for the community policy?
Not unless there was a photographer present she wouldn’t!
That’s just awful. I didn’t know that was how he had died.
It is a disgrace how this government has treated disabled people. We have heard of cases of people suffering with terminal cancer who have been assessed as fit to work only to pass away shortly afterwards. Whilst giving tax cuts to the very wealthy they have targeted the vulnerable.