John Pring

Oh, vital. I mean, they're a safety net. There's income-related benefits and there's disability-related benefits and they're both absolutely crucial to disabled people and they would not be able to survive without them. And as the research has shown, you know, sometimes, you know, when they are taken away, they do not survive.

Oh, vital. I mean, they're a safety net. There's income-related benefits and there's disability-related benefits and they're both absolutely crucial to disabled people and they would not be able to survive without them. And as the research has shown, you know, sometimes, you know, when they are taken away, they do not survive.

I think that's the kind of key question my book's about, really, this idea of slow bureaucratic violence. The first death I found was 1996. There were a couple of others early 1997 before Labour came into power. And I think the harm, the violence built gradually, slowly over those years and then gradually In the post-2010 austerity years, it kind of exploded into violence.

I think that's the kind of key question my book's about, really, this idea of slow bureaucratic violence. The first death I found was 1996. There were a couple of others early 1997 before Labour came into power. And I think the harm, the violence built gradually, slowly over those years and then gradually In the post-2010 austerity years, it kind of exploded into violence.

And I don't think that's an exaggeration at all. Those years between 2010 and 2013, 2014 were just horrific.

And I don't think that's an exaggeration at all. Those years between 2010 and 2013, 2014 were just horrific.

Some of it is sanctions. A lot of them are about the assessment process. So a lot of them were people who took their own lives. One or two who literally starved to death, who had their benefits removed. Errol Graham, for instance, from Nottingham. He missed his assessment. He had severe mental distress and he locked himself in his flat. He missed a work capability assessment.

Some of it is sanctions. A lot of them are about the assessment process. So a lot of them were people who took their own lives. One or two who literally starved to death, who had their benefits removed. Errol Graham, for instance, from Nottingham. He missed his assessment. He had severe mental distress and he locked himself in his flat. He missed a work capability assessment.

They cut off his benefits. They cut off his gas. And I mean, it's so distressing to think about it. But over the course of about nine, 12 months, he literally starved to death. That's the violence we're talking about. Yeah.

They cut off his benefits. They cut off his gas. And I mean, it's so distressing to think about it. But over the course of about nine, 12 months, he literally starved to death. That's the violence we're talking about. Yeah.

The first company that everyone always talks about is Atos, which is a French company. And they have fortunately now been removed from that process. The last government recently retended all the contracts. But Capita is another one that was involved. Maximus is another. It's an American huge outsourcing giant.

The first company that everyone always talks about is Atos, which is a French company. And they have fortunately now been removed from that process. The last government recently retended all the contracts. But Capita is another one that was involved. Maximus is another. It's an American huge outsourcing giant.

We also need to talk about Unum, which is a massive insurance company, again, American based. and was lobbying the government very, very hard from the mid 1990s to make the assessment processes as tight as they possibly could. And that would encourage people to take out their private insurance policies because they realised that they might not get the support they need if they became ill.

We also need to talk about Unum, which is a massive insurance company, again, American based. and was lobbying the government very, very hard from the mid 1990s to make the assessment processes as tight as they possibly could. And that would encourage people to take out their private insurance policies because they realised that they might not get the support they need if they became ill.

There was a change in policy under the coalition that pressured staff to refer more claimants to have their benefits sanctioned. So the performance of the job centre staff was measured by what they called off-benefit flows. So the number of claimants who stopped receiving an out-of-work benefit, even if they'd not secured a job. And that led to a huge increase in sanctioning rates.

There was a change in policy under the coalition that pressured staff to refer more claimants to have their benefits sanctioned. So the performance of the job centre staff was measured by what they called off-benefit flows. So the number of claimants who stopped receiving an out-of-work benefit, even if they'd not secured a job. And that led to a huge increase in sanctioning rates.

We're talking 2010 to 2013. And it reached more than a million sanctions in 2013, which is about 345% above the average level 2001-2008. And this kind of top-down pressure on staff acted as what they called a moral anesthetic, which they say made invisible the needs and interests of the claimants they were sanctioning.

We're talking 2010 to 2013. And it reached more than a million sanctions in 2013, which is about 345% above the average level 2001-2008. And this kind of top-down pressure on staff acted as what they called a moral anesthetic, which they say made invisible the needs and interests of the claimants they were sanctioning.

On a very basic level, people aren't getting the support they need. And PIP is there to contribute towards the extra costs that disabled people face in their daily lives. The extra costs around the house, for instance, if you're not able to do your own cleaning or you can't look after your own garden or or you need to take taxis more often than most people.

On a very basic level, people aren't getting the support they need. And PIP is there to contribute towards the extra costs that disabled people face in their daily lives. The extra costs around the house, for instance, if you're not able to do your own cleaning or you can't look after your own garden or or you need to take taxis more often than most people.