People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin said,
“We welcome the unanimous support received in Derry and Strabane Council for our motion calling for the DfC Minister to end Capita corporation’s Personal Independence Payment (PIP) contract.
People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll established that Capita has received more than £75 million from the DfC between June 2016 to June 2021 for administering PI health assessments.
Awarding Capita a further multi-million pound contract to 2023 will cause a lot of anger. The company has caused a tremendous amount of distress and trauma in its implementation of the application process. A lot of people have been kicked to the curb and denied access to the disability benefit. It’s been a disaster.
If the DfC Minister was serious about protecting the vulnerable and defending working class communities ending Capita’s involvement in PIP should have been number one on her agenda.
Instead, Capita bosses are to be awarded further profits. Through support for our motion Derry and Strabane Council is sending a clear message to the DfC Minister and the entire Stormont Executive that this is unacceptable.”
