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‘Public health emergency’ declared as one in six GPs was asked to refer a patient to food banks in the last year
‘One in six family doctors has been asked to refer a patient to a food bank in the past year, a new survey has found, with GPs reporting that benefits delays are leaving people without money for food for weeks on end.
There are even rare reported cases of people visiting their GP with “sicknesses caused by not eating”, the leading food bank charity said.
Rising food poverty in the UK – driven by a combination of rising prices, stagnant wages, and reforms to welfare – has been described as an emerging “public health emergency” by academics and evidence from GP surgeries is matched by hospital diagnoses of malnutrition, which have nearly doubled in the past five years.’
Atos itself not fit for work? Disability benefit test provider may finally have contract terminated
‘The Government may soon terminate its contract with controversial firm Atos which currently carries out the “fitness for work” tests on disabled benefit claimants.
Atos has come under heavy fire for its handling of work capability assessments, which are used to gauge eligibility for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Incapacity Benefit.
Labour MP Dennis Skinner called for the Prime Minister David Cameron to “get rid” of Atos in October, describing the company as a “cruel heartless monster.” There have also been questions over the application of their tests, with claims that people are being wrongly recommended for work, or put through stressful medical interviews.’
