Effect Of Benefit Assessments On Iraq And Afghanistan Veterans

EDM number 229 in 2013-14, proposed by Gordon Marsden on 11/06/2013.
Categorised under the topics of Armed forces and Benefits policy.

That this House is concerned with the announcement by the Government of the rolling out of its new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) programme to replace Disability Living Allowance benefits and at continued reports that ex-service personnel injured in Iraq and Afghanistan are being denied disability benefits after assessments by one of the Government's new PIP assessors Atos Healthcare; calls for an urgent review of the adequacy of the knowledge and experience of the doctors and psychologists contracted by Atos in assessing conflict veterans mentally and physically; and asks Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions, in conjunction with veterans' charities and the Minister for Veterans, to commence an urgent independent review of the protocols used and the experience of those assessed so that, in the run-up to this year's Armed Forces Day, Parliament and people can feel that those who have made great sacrifices for their country are being treated fairly by it.

This motion has been signed by a total of 24 MPs.