A French-owned IT company awarded a £100m government contract to carry out benefits assessments has been slammed by charities after forcing a thriving support forum for disabled people and their carers to shut down over mysterious libel concerns.
The forum, which boasts more than 400 registered users and is run by the successful campaign group CarerWatch, was taken offline on Sunday after its hosting company was contacted by lawyers acting for multinational technology firm Atos. In a letter to the contractor, which has an annual turnover of £4.4 billion, the site’s owners described the devastating effects of the decision:
“We have many members who are very fragile and the sudden disappearance of a support group has caused a lot of distress and fear. Some are ringing us in tears.”
group administrator Rosemary O’Neill said that CarerWatch would have been happy to co-operate with the company if given the chance, saying: “Had they used common courtesy and contacted us direct, we would have removed any possible material they took exception to.”
A spokesman for Crossroads Care and the Princess Royal Trust for Carers agreed:
“It’s a real shame that carers will no longer have a place to turn to support each other. The dispute could have been resolved by discussing it, rather than by just shutting the site down.”
The disproportionate move follows actions against other websites After Atos and Atos Register of Shame. The former was forced to close in May after receiving a cease-and-desist letter objecting to the use of phrases such as “Atos Kills”. But the CarerWatch forum covers a range of issues of benign interest to disability campaigners, and it’s owners claim to have no idea what has provoked the company.
You can learn more about ATOS and the problems encountered by disabled people by reading this great article written by the Guardian Read Story
With the assistance of the Black Triangle Anti-Defamation Campaign in Defence of Disability Rights Care Watch Forum is now back online on a secure safe offshore server and will not be removed whatever Atos have to say. http://www.carerwatch.blacktrianglecampaign.org
Ffeirio Says! The best way to respond to this form of bullying. Is to complain directly to ATOS employers. In this instrance H.M. Government D.W.P Please sign this e-petition – Calling on H.M Government toStop the unfair and cruel re-assessments via ATOS for disabled people currently on Incapacity Benefit. ESA is a flawed benefit, and puts terrible pressure and stress on vulnerable people, putting people who cannot work on lesser benefits and applying sanctions. Let disabled people decide for themselves if they can work, they and their carers know best.
Click HERE to Sign or go to
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/9834
Let`s Debate this issue.
Do you give the Atos the thumbs up or thumbs down over this matter? Or are you not so sure. Maybe your 50/50 Let us know what you think about this issue?
I have hidden disabbilities have had them all my life
attended one of these awful medicals at the Atos Luton Branch
Got questioned about what my definition of what my disabilities were also a letter sent from my Doctor, was attacked for being a “fake”
Atos, are pure scum
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I can only speak for myself by saying that The Ffeirio Journal will always Stand up for the rights of those disadvantaged including the young & the old. The downtroden & the forgotten. Disabled & abled. We will always speak the truth and will fight tooth and nail against any form of sensorship.
ATOS Who were awarded a £100m contract to run the DWP Disability assessments They are also contracted to supply IT for the London Olympics. They can afford to keep an army of solicitors on fat retainers. Whilst most support groups rely basically on public donations & the good willl of it`s members.
Just because a company does not like or agree with the views of a particular support group & just because it can afford to through it`s weight around, does not make it right nor just. It is simply a case of Goliath trying to Bully David into submission.
The forum freely admits that in their view ATOS are not fit to carry out such sensitive assessments on disabled many of whom have underlining mental health
issues. There are countless stories from Rejected indeviduals who have gone on to commit suicide unable to cope with being abandoned by the system.
ATOS staff are not doctors, consultants, therapists, nurses or even carers they are an IT firm of computer programmers who feed information into a computer that diagnose wether a person is fit or capable to work in about 45 minutes. It`s act is cold in it`s calculation and it`s interpretation is machine like without feeling.
Do you think ATOS was right to insist this support groups website be shut down?