November 1995

Ministers in the John Major administration approve decision to outsource medical assessments for benefits.

What: Ministers approve a recommendation to outsource the medical assessment of benefits, claiming this would improve performance and value for money

Why significant: Outsourcing has been key to the dehumanisation of benefit claimants (in favour of profit) but also key to governmental denial of policy responsibility in benefit-related deaths. Harm reduction is outsourced, which, in the later words of Lewis Elward, allows ‘the State to distance themselves from potential ramifications’.