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Saturday, June 29, 2013

My Latest Letter To Iain Duncan Smith

The Right Honourable Iain Duncan Smith
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
Caxton House
Tothill Street
London, ENGLAND
SW1H 9DA


Subject: What is the DWP's policy with regard to publishing benefit claimant mortality statistics?




Dear Mr. Smith,

On November 6, 2012 I wrote to your department regarding the number of Incapacity Benefit claimants who had died that year.  I pointed out that "Incapacity Benefits: Death of Recipients (9 July 2012)"
http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2012/incap_decd_recips_0712.pdf was outdated, as it only provided mortality statistics up to November 2011.

Ten days later, I received the following response from Mr. Goff Daft, who is the head of your correspondence team:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/1J2tNRtgghJAcjnmV-6dDClFLcP0-PbvB2HYAd3zh_TLyYDecfDloaq8N6lsU/edit?usp=sharing

On April 20, 2013 I queried Mr. David Green (ESA Analysis), the compiler of "Incapacity Benefits: Death of Recipients", about the release date for the next report.  And I also queried you on June 18, 2013 regarding the same.

On June 24, 2013 I received the following reply:
Dear Mr Miller,

Thank you for your email and apologies for the delay in responding.

The publication you refer to was released on Department's website as an ad-hoc statistical analysis publication. As such there is no intention of releasing an updated version of these statistics.

Regards,

DWP ESA Analysis 

I was frankly perplexed by this overdue reply because Mr. Goff's November 16, 2012 response left me with the impression that the requested mortality data was being compiled and that only further patience on my part was required.

I would like to know if the DWP has compiled any post-November 2011 mortality data of benefit claimants and/or has the intention of doing so?

If your department is too understaffed and underfunded to compile such data, then I fully understand and sympathize.

However, I must confess that while
I have been very patient and reasonable regarding this matter over a period of many months, I am succumbing to the belief that your department is resorting to petty obstructionism—even a full-fledged cover-up—because the mortality of the sick and disabled has become too politicized for the Tories to cope with—and I suspect that there has been a staggering increase in the number of benefit claimant deaths since November 2011.

I intend to file a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office unless the transparency of your department improves.


I look forward to your reply.


 --
Samuel Miller

Monday, June 24, 2013

Fwd: Response to Freedom of Information Requests - Reference: FOI753

Date: June 24, 2013
From: Ian Jones

All,

I have received a second response from the EHCR (the response to my first FOI was is will cost too much) on implementation of the UNCRPD into UK law.

I plan to go through it line by line but wanted to share it with you first. Feel free to distribute it to others as you see fit.

Ian

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:
From: Freedom of Information <foi@equalityhumanrights.com>
Date: 24 June 2013 12:51:47 BST
To: Ian Jones

Subject: Response to Freedom of Information Requests - Reference: FOI753
Dear Mr Jones

Please find attached the response to your recent requests for information.

Kind regards

Philippa Bullen
Corporate Communications Officer

Equality and Human Rights Commission
2nd Floor Arndale House
The Arndale Centre
Manchester
M4 3AQ

Tel: 0161 829 8323
Text Phone: 0203 117 0238



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7 attachments — Download all attachments  
FOI753 Jones 20130624 ResponseToFOIRequest.pdfFOI753 Jones 20130624 ResponseToFOIRequest.pdf
91K   View   Download  
Maria Miller MP.PDFMaria Miller MP.PDF
3021K   View   Download  
MM reply (ehrcletter171111).pdfMM reply (ehrcletter171111).pdf
626K   View   Download  
DetailedCommentsOnODIDraftUKInitialReportFINAL190711.pdfDetailedCommentsOnODIDraftUKInitialReportFINAL190711.pdf
136K   View   Download  
RE_ HB regulation 16.02.2011Redacted.pdfRE_ HB regulation 16.02.2011Redacted.pdf
135K   View   Download  
BedroomTaxResponseMay2013_Redacted.pdfBedroomTaxResponseMay2013_Redacted.pdf
357K   View   Download  
Board Paper on Incorporation_Redacted.pdfBoard Paper on Incorporation_Redacted.pdf
116K   View   Download  


Sunday, June 9, 2013

I need to hear from NGOs and sick and disabled individuals willing to act as "victim" in a UN complaint or inquiry

Please circulate this widely in Britain.

I recently contacted a human rights solicitor at Leigh Day regarding the submission of a United Nations complaint (UNCRPD) or inquiry into Britain's draconian welfare reform policies. The solicitor has expressed interest. I need to hear from NGOs and sick and disabled individuals willing to act as "victim" in the UN complaint or inquiry.

For further information, please see http://www.twitlonger.com/show/lbeqbu http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1rkmam4 http://mydisabilitystudiesblackboard.blogspot.ca/2013/03/the-jobcentre-sanctions-scandal-in.html

I am especially interested in hearing from individuals (disabled and non-disabled) who have been unjustly sanctioned by Jobcentre and/or the DWP.

Please contact: Samuel Miller at disabilityinliterature@gmail.com

--
Samuel Miller
http://independent.academia.edu/SamuelMiller
http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/letter-to-the-icc-at-the-hague-re-mistreatment-of-the-disabled-and-sick
http://mikesivier.wordpress.com//?s=Samuel+Miller&amp;search=Go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnHBfW0_u5A&amp;feature=youtu.be
E-Mail: disabilityinliterature@gmail.com
Blog: Hephaestus: Disability Studies
http://illnessandcivilization.blogspot.com/
Blog: My Disability Studies Blackboard
http://mydisabilitystudiesblackboard.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Hephaestus7
(Montreal, Canada)