Disability benefits assessor suspended over ‘Facebook posts mocking claimants’
Claimant 'horrified' after searching for nurse's profile on Facebook
A DISABILITY benefits assessor has been suspended after allegedly posting mocking and abusive comments about claimants on Facebook.
Sarah Goldstein, 24, made a complaint after finding the posts when her claim for personal independence payments (PIPs) was turned down.
Sarah, of Derbyshire, claims the posts she discovered included one saying the assessor wanted to "catapult" a claimant "back to whatever s**thole he came from" and another saying "why do our taxes have to keep them".
Capita, who assess claimants for the government, said it has launched the investigation.
Mum-of-one Sarah suffers from fibromyalgia, Raynaud's phenomenon, chronic anxiety, migraines and depression.
She first applied for PIPs in October 2014. She was turned down and reapplied at the end of 2015.
In March this year the assessor, a nurse working for Capita on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions, visited her at home.
Sarah was again turned down, but she claims the report contained a number of "falsehoods".
She said these include claims she gave birth to her 13-month-old daughter AJ naturally. Sarah actually had a c-section, something she claims she was not asked about during the assessment.
The report also said Sarah was "calm, relaxed and her mood appeared stable", but her husband Jay, 25, said his wife was "clearly anxious" and did not make eye contact with the assessor.
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After receiving the report Sarah decided to look up the assessor on social media and discovered the posts, which date back to 2014.
The horrified couple complained to Capita, who suspended the assessor and arranged a new appointment for Sarah, due to take place today (Wednesday).
Sarah said: "I didn't go out looking for dirt, but I was shocked and horrified nonetheless.
"We want people to understand the struggle people go through with this new benefits system - people need to see that people like this is what we're up against.
"Disabled people are human beings and we deserve a good quality of life - we don't deserve to be treated like this.
"This nurse clearly isn't the best person for that kind of job.
"This whole saga has made me seriously unwell - I've not been eating or sleeping properly, I've been stressed out and having panic attacks - I don't even want to leave the house anymore.
"Clearly someone who can write posts like this doesn't have the compassion needed for the job."
A Capita spokesperson said: "The individual was suspended as soon as we were made aware of the allegations, and further investigations are taking place. All prospective assessors are subject to strict security and vetting checks. We also have strict policies in place which govern the use of social media."
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