ATOS turns Market Harborough man away disability benefit assessment because he is in a wheelchair

Just when you thought your opinion of ATOS could fall no lower comes this story from the Leicester Mercury:

A man has claimed he was turned away and labelled a fire hazard after attending a disability benefit assessment in a wheelchair. 

Charles Foreman said he was asked to leave the building as he presented a health and safety risk at the medical examination.

And his wife takes up the story:

His wife Karen, 52, a shop manager, said she was asked to take her husband out of the building after she checked in at reception. 

She said: “We were in bit of a hurry so I took Charles up in the lift and left him on the first floor as that was where the examination was to take place. 

“I went down to check in properly and the woman there told me we had to leave as my husband was in a wheelchair. 

“She said that the building was not equipped for people in wheelchairs and that he was a fire risk and a health and safety hazard.” 

Mrs Forman said she offered to take the wheelchair away as her husband can walk short distances. 

She said: “I told her I had used the wheelchair for speed as we had to park in a car park nearby. 

“The woman was unmoved and just kept saying they could not see him as he was a fire risk.

Almost the most concerning aspect of this story is that it ends with a Department of Work and Pensions spokesman defending the actions on ATOS.

So we taxpayers are giving ATOS £400m to conduct these tests, but still have to fund the press office at the DWP to go round after them with a bucket when they appear to have made a hash of things.

Over to you, Vince.