At Last, A Report That Skewers IDS’s Welfare Policies

The petition calling for a cumulative impact assessment of the way welfare reform affects sick and disabled people, known as the WOW petition, has passed 100,000 signatures, triggering its consideration for debate by the backbench business committee. To add to Duncan Smith's woes, the well-respected Centre for Welfare Reform has released details of its report, How Norms Become Targets, which exposes the myth that Atos, the private company responsible for assessing the needs of people unable to work, does not do so on the basis of targets. There is also the publication of the stunning People's Review of the Work Capability Assessment. It has been compiled by the anonymous organisation, We Are Spartacus, whose activism in this area has been hugely empowering. The report is a collection of statistics surrounding welfare reform and reactions of MPs, charities and professional groups to the way in which it has been administered. An almanac of condemnation, if you will. Most importantly, the report compiles statements from sick and disabled people actually going through the system. Download a copy of the reports from the Centre for Welfare Reform and We Are Spartacus websites.