Atos is out: Government seeks new company to carry out fit for work tests
▻http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/atos-is-out-government-seeks-new-company-to-carry-out-fit-for-work-te
The government has announced it will be seeking a new company to carry out disability assessments, replacing controversial French outsourcing company Atos.
Atos have been carrying out the Work Capability Assessments, or ‘fitness to work’ tests on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions since 2010. Their contract was worth £500 million. 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.
For disabled people, and those with learning disabilities, the ‘sacking’ of Atos won’t change anything
▻http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/for-disabled-people-and-those-with-learning-disabilities-the-sacking-
For now, Atos will continue to carry out the WCA on behalf of the government until the new provider is in place. This will probably take 6-12 months. Employment law means the staff currently working for Atos will be transferred to the new provider, most likely to be Capita, G4S or Serco as only very big companies are able to manage these contracts nationally. So it will be the same people asking the same assessment questions as before, but they will work for a different company.