On Mon 30th July BBC2 and Channel 4 are broadcasting two documentaries, the channel 4 “Dispatches” series is looking into the methods used to assess sickness and disability benefits, Panorama being shown on BBC2 because of the Olympics is broadcasting a programme entitled “Disabled or Faking it”, .
Usually I would regard the Panorama series of Documentaries as rather good but I’m not sure how this one will be slanted, I’ve got the feeling it might just be an attack on the sick and disabled, the channel 4 Dispatches series looks like the one that will provide a more friendly vision of what we have to endure to get our rightful benefits, it will be great to see what is going to be shown…
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i’d go with the channel 4 one as the BBC is the state broadcaster and is so biased you would be better watching Russia Today for balanced news
Panorama is basically a party political broadcast for the tories
I wish there was a way of finding out about the content of each before they are aired as I get really distressed when we are portayed as fakers or scroungers.
Not sure I do trust Channel 4 more than the Beeb, because any channel that has to please advertisers is in a tough position if any of them say they don’t like a particular programme. However the Beeb has shown some dreadful stuff – “Saints or Scroungers” for example. Wonder which programme will be more accurate? I notice that no channel has reported on the BMA decision to call for an immediate end to WCA or their call for Andrew Lansley to resign. I rang up the BBC and complained about that.
I think the company producing this is an award winning company that has done some ground breaking investigations, let’s hope this truly revelas the utter disgrace they call the “Work Capability Assessment”….
That sounds hopeful….
Panaroma is very likely to be propoganda based mainly on fraud and will have a little the other way to make them seem unbiased, it seems now the BBC do at least 1 documentary a year on sickness fraud and clearly have an agenda as what other usbject do they cover with such frequency? We should be thankful for these olympics as they at least serving one useful purpose to push this to less viewers.
Dispatches may possibly at least have an ubiased view as I find that of much higher quality generally.
Erm CH4 is BBC with adverts:- ‘The channel was established to provide a fourth television service to the United Kingdom in addition to the television licence–funded BBC’s two services and the single commercial broadcasting network, ITV.’ see their wiki page. There was even talk of them being merged 10 years ago!
The issue with all these programs has always been the deliberate blurring of the definition of DLA & ESA to disinform what they are for, how they are used and how they’re awarded/tested. The constant references to DLA being an out of work benefit and no one ever gets what ESA is for right, beggars belief!
I’m a realist and although I live in hope I’m expecting more of the same tbf!
BBC has been a bloody disgrace scared of the Tories scrapping the license fee. I hope Dispatches is good about time ATOS was shown for the vermin they are.
This may be of interest: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jul/27/disability-benefit-assessors-film?INTCMP=SRCH
It looks like the “Dispatches Team” have pulled off another award winner by the looks of it?
http://atosvictimsgroup.co.uk/2012/07/27/atos-assessors-told-to-keep-disability-benefit-approvals-low-film-suggests/
I love it when Atos/DWP are made to squirm?….
I’ll be cracking open the bubbly if they are…(home-made gooseberry beer rather than champagne!) May they squirm like they’ve made us squirm in the ATOS assessments….
Amazed people r taling about BBC vs C4! The point of both of them is talking about the ‘Fit 2 Work’ regime – ESA / DLA. I work in this sector & don’t give a toss about the channel that presents it – just that it is presented is good enough 4 me
I have 3 mental health conditions. Depression, Anxiet and PTSDF and a genetic bone marrow cancer.
I think both programmes put ATOS nazis and DWP to shame. They helped our cause. Dispatches programme was better as a qualified doctor and someone who knows WCAs well went undercover. That foreign female trainer at the ATOS training centre was a disgrace talking about human beings like we were numbers and how they are protected by not being involved in appeals. I WILL HAVE MY NEXT WCA RECORDED.
Also because I had a similar thing said to me, I was disgusted with what was said to the bipolar patient who had overdosed “WHY ARE YOU NOT DEAD?” bloody cruel bastards.
The Dispatches programme, though shocking, confirmed what I have heard from various friends who have already undergone the so called assessment. What I also found profoundly offensive was the reporters introduction, which referred to the disabled as ‘ them’ and tax payers as ‘ us’….
I agree with Adam T The important thing is that these items are presented. I think Life Survivor has it right when he talks about shame and cruel Bastards. It mays me ashamed that these people are my country men and purport to act in my name. Yes we have to stop malingers, but we have to be fair. The ‘Fit 2 Work’ regime, as presented is definitely not fair in fact it is disgraceful.
I fell foul of a couple of Atos liars last year, one appeal I won within 5 minutes & got the Incapacity benefit back, I also reported the quack who did the assessment to the GMC who fully investigated my complaint & issued him the “Strong Advice” about his future conduct particularly regarding honesty! They said they couldn’t do more because although I did have a medical record to back me up that there was no actual audio evidence of the assessment or exactly what was said, I understand their point there! The second lying Atos quack re-assessing me for my DLA benefit that was stopped because of the first quack’s bogus report I secretly filmed & when the DLA was refused I appealed understandably & it’s adjourned at the tribunal at the moment because the DWP rep went nuts about it & was squealing about how ‘unfair’ it was that I’d done that! At some point in the very near future I fully intend making their home addresses known to some other genuine people other who they’ve also upset & caused mayhem for. I don’t quite know what will happen to them but I can hazard a guess because some of those folk’s relatives don’t look very savoury to me! I dearly hope it makes them sweat a bit when the get to find out all I’ve done to them in return for being so dammed kind to me!.I will be letting those quacks know just before they’re likely to be getting any problems though..Revenge can be sweet sometimes & it’s always a dish best served as cold as possible!..lol.