Edinburgh – Protest Against Atos: 16th December

RESIST THE ATTACKS ON THE SICK AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

SAY NO TO THE UNFAIR TESTS CUTTING SICKNESS AND DISABILITY BENEFITS

GATHER AT THE ATOS BENEFITS TESTING CENTRE, 44 YORK PLACE, EDINBURGH THIS COMING FRIDAY 16 DECEMBER 10AM – 12 NOON

PART OF THE UK-WIDE MONTH OF ACTION AGAINST ATOS

“Thousands of seriously ill cancer patients will be forced to take medical tests and face “back to work” interviews, despite assurances from ministers that they would not make it harder for the sick to get welfare, charities have warned.

Buried in a report to ministers by Prof Malcolm Harrington, the government adviser on testing welfare recipients, are proposals to force cancer patients who are undergoing intravenous chemotherapy to prove they are too ill to work.”

(Guardian 6.12.11 http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/dec/06/cancer-patients-welfare-work-tests?CMP=EMCSOCEML657%%__AdditionalEmailAttribute1%%

This is what awaits us unless we get organised to resist. Already tens of thousands of ill people are being subjected to the Work Capability Assessments, disqualified from sickness benefits and thrown onto Job Seekers Allowance, where they face compulsory work-for-your-benefits forced labour schemes.

ATOS are the multinational company with a £500 million contract from the government to carry out the tests which are central to deciding whether or not people get sickness benefits.

This is all part of the wider attack on the majority of us, to try and make us pay for the greed of the rich and the crisis in their chaotic capitalist system.

Join us in this protest and in leafleting and showing solidarity with claimants going into ATOS. You are welcome to bring placards, banners, whistles, drums, whatever you would hope to find.

If you or someone you know is being called in for such a test – don’t go alone! Take a friend or adviser with you. Read detailed info on how to deal with the tests here http://www.edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk/node/5<

Organised by Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty www.edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk ecap@lists.riseup.net

We also encourage people to contact Black Triangle disability rights group http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/

Info on the uk-wide month of action against ATOS here https://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/a-month-of-festive-action-against-atos-and-the-benefit-cuts/