{"id":274,"date":"2016-06-21T01:42:13","date_gmt":"2016-06-21T01:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk\/?p=274"},"modified":"2017-07-18T01:49:32","modified_gmt":"2017-07-18T01:49:32","slug":"welfare-activist-in-court-at-dundee-advocacy-is-not-a-crime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk\/?p=274","title":{"rendered":"WELFARE ACTIVIST IN COURT AT DUNDEE \u201cADVOCACY IS NOT A CRIME\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Solidarity demonstrators will greet the appearance of Scottish Unemployed Workers Network activist Tony Cox at Dundee Sheriff Court this Thursday 23 June.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Supporters denounce Tony Cox’s arrest while he was accompanying a claimant at a disability benefits test.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\u201c’This is an attack on the right to be accompanied to a benefits appointment, and accompanied by a person of one’s own choosing,\u201d<\/span><\/em>\u00a0declared SUWN spokeswoman Sarah Glynn.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0ECAP urges everyone who can to join\u00a0the protest, from 10am on 23 June at Dundee Sheriff Court, 6 West Bell Street, DD1 9AD<\/a>\u00a0Dundee. People are travelling from Edinburgh. \u00a0Groups unable to reach Dundee on the day are organising solidarity in their own areas, from Doncaster to Kilburn, London.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

VULNERABLE<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Paul Laverty, screenwriter for Ken Loach’s \u201cI Daniel Blake\u201d, winner of the Palme D’Or at Cannes film festival, supports Tony Cox:<\/span>\u00a0“When we were researching the material for I Daniel Blake we came across overwhelming evidence of vulnerable people subjected to great pressure both by the Department of Work and Pensions and indeed the subcontracted companies carrying out the work capability assessments. \u00a0On a trip to Dundee I personally witnessed Tony Cox and his colleagues at the Scottish Unemployed Workers Network giving solid practical advice to confused and sometimes highly distressed claimants.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI have spoken to doctors who have been infuriated by the treatment of some of their patients who have been deemed fit for work despite serious illness. \u00a0In this context the work of Tony Cox and his colleagues who accompany vulnerable claimants is a great service to the body politic… Claimants have a right to be accompanied by an advocate of choice…\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

ARRESTED\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr Cox was arrested on 10 November 2015 at the Maximus assessment centre in Dundee. \u00a0 Multi-national Maximus hold the government DWP contract to conduct Work Capability Assessments to decide on claimants’ eligibility for the sickness benefit Employment and Support Allowance. \u00a0The test has been widely criticised by disability rights groups and many others as being biased in favour of finding people fit to work who are clearly not able to take up employment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Witnesses at\u00a0<\/a>the first court hearing on 9 June<\/a>\u00a0reported that Maximus refused to allow the claimant to be accompanied by Dr Cox, and called the police. This despite DWP statements that all claimants have the right to representation at all appointments. The claimant who Dr Cox was accompanying broke down in tears while giving evidence, resulting in an adjournment till 23 June.<\/span><\/p>\n

PROTESTS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sarah Glynn of the SUWN emphasised the vital principles at stake:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be protestors outside the court and support protests in other parts of the UK, because everyone who is on benefits or who knows people on benefits recognises the vital need for people’s right to be accompanied to be respected.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

As the benefit system evolves into an increasingly punitive minefield, it has never been more important to have support negotiating the way through. The right to that support exists in law. We are insisting it is recognised in practice. No-one should be criminalised for insisting on their rights or helping others to do so. Advocacy is not a crime.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

SOLIDARITY<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2015 Dr Cox was also arrested at Arbroath Jobcentre, accompanying a claimant. \u00a0But the court ruled he had committed no offence whatsoever in the Jobcentre; after the DWP witnesses had given their evidence, the prosecution decided to withdraw the substantial charge. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other activist groups have also come up against this attempt to deny basic human rights. \u00a0Esther MacDonald of Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty, reports:\u00a0<\/span>\u201cOn 29 February\u00a0G4S security guards physically stopped our advocate accompanying a claimant\u00a0to High Riggs Jobcentre. \u00a0But when\u00a0we returned a week later with over 50 supporters the DWP gave in, and our advocate accompanied the claimant with no problems. \u00a0Solidarity won the day.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We need more of this kind of action. \u00a0But on a much bigger scale. \u00a0We need to take direct action so that the authorities are more scared of us than we are of them. \u00a0We need to build a counter power which can fight them back, and open up the possibility of real revolutionary change.”<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Court Solidarity demo events page<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We will be outside Dundee Sheriff Court from 10am on Thursday 23 June. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/scottishunemployedworkers.net\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Reports solidarity demos for first court case on 9 June.<\/a>\u00a0And excellent full report on what happened in court on 9 June<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

See our page on the right to be accompanied to all benefits interviews.<\/span><\/p>\n

DWP Policy official policy on Working With Representatives:<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/working-with-representatives-guidance-for-dwp-staff<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Includes the following:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCustomers have the right to ask a representative to help them conduct their business with\u00a0DWP\u2026.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWho is a representative?<\/span><\/p>\n

A customer representative is any person or organisation acting on behalf of or making\u00a0<\/span>enquiries for the customer. The representative could be helping a customer in several\u00a0<\/span>ways, including progress chasing, helping them make a claim, seeking an explanation of\u00a0<\/span>entitlement and how it has been decided, representing them with a reconsideration or\u00a0<\/span>appeal, or helping them manage their finances. This can be at any stage of the customer\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>business with DWP. Representatives may include:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 advice or welfare rights organisations<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 professionals such as social workers, community nurses or doctors<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 family members or friends\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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