The Public Health Crisis Created by UK Social Policy Reforms

Abstract

As the world is preoccupied by the pandemic, and the British public are beginning to comprehend the full impact of Brexit, the predictable public mental health crisis created by the demolition of the UK social safety net has been disregarded by successive administrations. Few people realized that preventable harm was the inevitable creation of social policy reforms, gradually adopted by every administration since Thatcher, en route to her political ambition which was the demolition of the welfare state to be replaced by private health insurance. In order to demolish the welfare state it was first necessary to remove the past psychological security provided by the welfare state. This has been achieved, with disability denial created by significant social policy reforms since 2008. To justify the adoption of harsh and unnecessary austerity measures, which were introduced without ethical approval, the Coalition administration elected in 2010 vehemently challenged the integrity of the chronically ill and disabled community and routinely accused disability benefit claimants of fraud; whilst failing to produce evidence to support their claims. Their often hostile rhetoric encouraged a 213 percent increase in prosecuted disability hate crimes, and successive administrations disregarded the thousands of deaths directly linked to the Work Capability Assessment, which was adopted using a discredited and dangerous biopsychosocial model of assessment to restrict access to long-term disability benefit. Influenced by corporate America since 1992, the UK social policy reforms guaranteed that many of those in greatest need were destined to die when, covertly, killed by the State.

Full text


The Public Health Crisis Created
by UK Social Policy Reforms
Jusce, Power and Resistance
Mo Stewart
DOI: 10.1332/GQDH4178


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Cita+on:  !"
#$"
%
DOI:10.1332/GQDH4178


The Public Health Crisis Created By UK Social Policy Reforms
Mo Stewart

Abstract: 
&"'((
')"#$
"("*
           "    ("    "  "    

" + ,"
 "(  "  "  "  
"(," -.""
"/
 0"((" "" "
" ,   1(    
2 (03"
  (        "     4 /"
&(("
(5",+6"&077#$
"("("
"

Key words!"1"1

Introduc+on: 
(078503    "  /9"     
907:757 &;"<"*"03;
          (                  =  >"      9  
4"4/?=
("
 "    , (@    =  0A 
=        #  9<  <( 
07-05-7;50B ,
6&#$"
@#$=0A 

C" " "  ,/  9   #$ (       
+007-/9,07:75-3 
( (   ) "   #$   
(D?D? @(5"(
((("=
/07-
0



- 9;B"(,@((=
E0 
="(5(("""
(&6#$""
 .07757:  0- 1  &  
 "' 077:5:  E(B1E( "5F" B 1
4/"&-C"
& C&  " ,  "    '    :50  F 00 1   
"",
9( "/5/((05
08 
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6&#$"077G
. /   #9  +   ((    
(0- '"077B#9H59G>/
#$I(("2
077B"+"4 &+"',+' 
@"("&07-A=4"0778 

+""#9+&((
>(:   "  (=    &"  G>/
    .            5  "  '9  
#$1"E49E49 
F9F9 (5",&"5
>/0778 "&"("
)="?"
  F9      (  (5"  ,    "
"(5("&0A10- 

The crea+on of preventable harm: 
'",@=,(@,,
   D   0             F9      
+"',+' +"',(555",4"
0778 @&4=0778+'
",,(((@(=
@(= 4"0778  @&4= &"5>/ 0778 '9@ 5
  0-107  ('9 
"#9+&>(:1<: 

4       @& 4  =  " ,      ((
"837+'
  1     .          <  :         "




'=",
"F 08 1(((   "
,   "     +      "  ,      
(
'E49/JI9&"
                  (        (
F4 &"8  (45&"8 
E#9/9"E"</#"
K0A"&/B (
 & #$ "(6 
45&"8       '95    
+'"0 1+'L
   ",  77 1      ,        ,
    5  "   0A850A: 1    (       
@"=C0A310719( 
&  #9        5  (            
(            #9  /    9"    E"
</#";(5
    MC        4    9    /;  AN
07 
/((="("' >
",I"(&
      E(  B 1              45&"  8
"""4"
"#9+(#(
"  "  "    (        >(  :      -  
&&G,"("
 ## &&G- &( 6#$ 
"077&"5>/0778145&"8101 

&"E49J-C&",+'
4  /"& 4/&   "   ' >  :50
((45&"'945&"810  
(      "    C&  ,            
.,4/&"("E&<O
45&"8(@("5% 
"(=<OAA L""
"9(0A (
("45&"0 ,'9
4/&("6(L")!
3
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
? ) )((  45&" '9
  "    "    4              45
&"'9("4
" 4    &"=1  
,1 ( (   ,
4/&(
("C&     "   ="
"""
(    (   "(
""
"       
(        5(    
"      )  +                 45
&"'9#$(=@ =5"
<()"50A 
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?     4/&   -  "  >   (   6 45
&"'9<OA10A ("
C&,     (    4/&    
45&"80 '9@5=0A10-1
07 1   (  "4/&   (((   (
("(
  "   C&  ,    
   4/&  2 (   @,  = "  6 
'081''/D081E4908 (@"7
 "( 2 (   ,  =  (  4/& ' 08   /L"  E49
          @,   = ( 4/&    
*"0B
Table 1: DWP mortality sta+s+cs, ESA claimants: December 2011-February 2014,
published August 2015
WCA outcome at most recent ESA
assessment
December 2011 – February 2014
Number of claimants leaving ESA
with a recorded date of death
* 3-
45"( :
& :8B
( 383
# 73
TOTAL 50,580
0!E49"C&!E005*0B
B



/    )"  "(  +'  (     
       ;C&
"0BD?"(8C&,
  ;        9( 0:   L"  /=  ( ;
"(6E492"
"( "  E499(108    E49   
"4/&(
    9(  07 1    "      @"  5=           "
 ,  )  4/&49/0  
@")"=0- 
The adop+on of the poli+cs of fear: 
/("0(,
  "  G  0    5  /  F(  J  9        
")("
>>)""
("(5((
  "    .,            ;  
 1       (          "   ( E" 0B 
C"+*' 08 , )
#$077857A(./.,
""'
#$"
"("
"1(
."0A 
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*#$/((0(
 "       F
001 0B1 E" P F( 0B1 ? 0B1 $    01 9 01 '    0A1
0-1/0-1E"0-1E"071' .(
">E2//(
") ? / @
= ""(""

+" 07- /9 /07-   @= 
("   /  (  /;(,
"(("("
(,.(&
"49/0+E9)
"","
"F00 E=)",
8
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
"">;00 03
"(408 ((
<"0 E=()#$
  +E  0         "    "(    "  "          5
((@,(=(9(08 
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&;" BB
   C( 4(  
(    BB  
0E( (
"<"0 
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E  "  (,  (((
F00 ("
"+"E("()
",E49=,((+
  ,  .8    (   778          =
F0B ?,
"     "  F001  '   031  '  0A   
"
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+(0!E"C)G"%&00 c")
(,
E49(;F00 !
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4(" ("(@(=@(=
""+"
2(
"@=@=@5"=F00 
A
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
?     (     "      F 0B
,("E49(",!
  ."          (              ((
   9      "(          "  
  "              "      ,"
(I5((;)%
E49(((
,     (             ,         
    ((    "    "         "  
,F0B 
(64/&("
07    "       '  081 ? 0B     
("("""
"(9( (("
 "  "  E49          
  "                (          
"E"F(0B1?0B1'  0A1 E" 
07 E ( 4/&2   (  
"       ("E49@(=   ;
 C&,(9(0: *
"(,(,""/
?0B   "   /  4 <    "    "
+DE!
(+,(+(+ 
(+"+""(()"
.?0B 
4.4/&
)6D?
,8C&,;
9(0: E49"
4/&?   "
4/&(
","( L'   
0A !
((",(4/"&
"5
5(J"4/&
""
  F        
:
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
"
"(.
   J "    "  C(  ( 
(",(4/&"L
((",
""(",'0A 


Conclusion: 
EC"E"CE 07"9(L"
4/&CE 07    (        &(#$(,
"(((""
E49,"",@,=(
  @  = <  P*  0    "   
  "  @ G  /                "  ,   
J(".,"6
4/&        "    #$      (        
6"&""
,       "      "  E49  
(""
((#$(
Acknowledgements: 
+"(*>FH(2

Declara+on of interests:
D
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References: 
&&G- !
&&G& 
;!QQQQ5555

&">/G0778 !9"
" 37A:885A8
EJ+!000AQ5377778 3:5G
'''<C/08 !((#$",
!"#$%"08
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
''"5<EE><<&40A !@*
=!    "                R  &  (
("&' () *:B33753B8EJ+!0003AQ.5
085A7
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''/D08 !32,%E49,(
''/D:&(
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'G !E("!""
+  + BB-50EJ+!0007Q.:7
'908 !2(,E49,(
,:&(
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D&/&'07Q08QA
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/B !#9/#"
)'-G
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&%*./0108A00B8
EJ+!0337Q.08A00B8
E(&B !+(4!9">9#&
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D>=49077:
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E0 !*07-%'2" 
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E"&F(*0B !"
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EJ+!;!QQ(Q00:Q0:50B5-B:5:
E"0B !/(!F="
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E4908 !E49"!C"&+"',
E&F(08
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E"9>G$DG&'<07 !4(!
"#$
"( 8B30053AEJ+!00000Q08A
E"90- !9+!,"
"" =83 !0B508:
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CE07 !+L""
C"E"378&
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C>0A !/4/!/5/?
&#">
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F$00 !(((R("
>% (" 2.8466879.
EJ+!;!QQ(Q00-Q7A-:877008AB
F$0B !*!)((5
," HB-: :-5:7-
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F&00 !*55@6=9"
,AG"
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FG08 !4(","+E
?B&(
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?/0B !*,(9RC&*45<&"F
):;<
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>(G?: !><(">!#Q9G<
',EC<+&
4; =.//920/0460605@063.
;!QQQ80380QB3A:0*
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>;&00 !',!:8S(
&A:G"
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
$$'9E0 !&"!)
)?20.4363865/
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G((E/CC0- !4T?EJ(!
E9=C)C"&4<&"F
+>#"C)>
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F0A !D%("
,08&
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DC"<'E<0 !4R
&",+?)*"0.0.1B./0.C
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9<0 !@&(R=E
 "2./466/9..
9(G !CF!2E49(",
>% 4"3G"
9(G !E49(=
>% 4"0AG"
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9(G07 !/)?5!E49,4/&
>% 4"7"
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>% 4"0BE
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9(G08 !D((E49=4/&(
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9(G08 !*@,(=(
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<O&A ! F9!&DE4!(&
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
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"'3A!B58B
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;5&'///?EG/"F$0B !
('
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4D&(J&0A !'((!4
&"="'9 ")" 690..30
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0A !)4)#;<
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 0- ! /" 9)"!/6
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EJ+!000-QG9?5:5075:
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4F&"0 !?"G>% %
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?==07755.6566
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49/0 !J!,?/AB
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9?9.7507
;!QQQ
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