The government has announced it will be seeking a new company to carry out disability assessments, replacing controversial French outsourcing company Atos.
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The contract was due to extend until August 2015 however Atos has reached an agreement with the Department for Work and Pensions to exit early.
Minister for disabled people Mike Penning said he was “pleased that Atos will not receive a single penny of compensation from the taxpayer for early termination.” In fact, Atos made a “substantial financial settlement” to the government, he added.
Atos has repeatedly come under fire during its tenure, with Labour MP Dennis Skinner describing Atos as a “cruel heartless monster”.
However Atos Healthcare will continue to deliver the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments in Scotland, north of England, London and south of England. This is separate from the Work Capability Assessment contract, which is used when the government decides whether people should get disability benefits because their ability to work is affected.
Read the full story in The Independent
Read the Ministerial Statement here
