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stratleadgmdpp.bsky.social
@stratleadgmdpp.bsky.social
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gmcdp.bsky.social
We have just published a joint letter with GM Equality Panel members opposing the DWP Pathways to Work Green Paper, please promote it across your networks and media:

Full text with references and Easy Read at link
gmdisabledpeoplespanel.com/2025/05/22/g...
Open Letter to All Greater Manchester MPs Regarding the Government’s Green Paper on Benefits 20 May 2025 To the Members of Parliament representing Greater Manchester, We are writing to you as members of the Greater Manchester Equality Panels regarding the Government’s recent ‘Pathways to Work’ Green Paper on changes to benefits. We are deeply concerned that the proposals outlined in the Green Paper risk undermining the dignity, security, and well-being of the very people the social security system was created to support. All the proposed policies concentrate on supply side workforce activation and none address the real problem of demand side labour market conditions. We are concerned that the language being used to talk about the Green Paper will have a negative impact on discrimination against disabled people. We already have seen a rise in disability hate crimes since 2010. We now have both the Office for Budget Responsibility impact assessment and responses to Freedom of Information requests, that show 1.3 Million disabled people will lose Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Daily Living and 80% of Universal Credit Health claimants (Limited Capability to Work Related Activity (LCWRA) & LCWRA+PIP) would lose all entitlement, raising the total facing a loss of income to 2 million disabled people . The re-arrangement of Universal Credit conditionality will see 600,000 disabled people who cannot work subject to being sanctioned for not looking for and finding work. Disabled people are already the majority of foodbank users, these proposals will see that number likely rise by several hundred thousand. We also know from Professor Ben Geiger that the actual level of cuts amounts to £9 Billion . The impact on employment is not known and will likely not be published until the autumn, meaning no one can make informed decisions about the stated aspirations that this will raise employment. There is a great deal of existing data which suggests it will not, beyond a few percentage points . This raises serious questions about fairness, honesty, lack of peer reviewed independent evidence, and long-term cumulative social impact. We are concerned about the impact on the Government priorities of growth and reducing National Health Service (NHS) waiting lists. In a region like Greater Manchester, where communities are already grappling with inequalities, entrenched poverty, and continuing austerity, these changes will disproportionately harm the people who are already most excluded. The United Nations has twice reported on the conditions for disabled people in the UK, finding that there were ‘grave and systemic’ violations of our human rights , with further regression. This Green Paper will exacerbate those abuses We highlight the following key concerns: 1. Disability and Health Assessments The proposed tightening of eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Work Capability Assessment (WCA) (before its abolition, leaving a revamped PIP assessment as a single gateway to health elements of Universal Credit) risks excluding individuals with genuine and complex needs, particularly those with invisible or fluctuating conditions. Many of these individuals already struggle to navigate an opaque and stressful process, that has contributed towards over 600 suicides in just 3 years . 2. Mental Health Oversight The suggestion that mental health issues are being “over-diagnosed” within the benefits system can be stigmatizing . Mental health is a critical public health issue and dismissing it as less ‘deserving’ of support perpetuates harmful stereotypes. 3. Conditionality and Sanctions Proposals to expand conditionality and increase sanctions are counterproductive. Evidence—including from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) itself—shows that sanctions do not lead to better employment outcomes, but do exacerbate hardship, debt, and mental distress . 4. Consultation Process There are 22 policies announced but the consultation only seeks to discuss half of these with the most impactful measures instead being put into a parliamentary bill. We are also concerned that the consultation process may not be fully inclusive, particularly of disabled individuals, carers, disabled people’s organisations, and frontline support workers. Any meaningful reform must be co-designed with those most affected. As MPs elected to serve the people of Greater Manchester, we urge you to: • Vote against the proposed changes. • Commit to co-producing a disability strategy with disabled people as outlined on the DPO Forum Manifesto . • Advocate for evidence and rights-based policies that reflect the lived experience of your constituents and the reality of the Social Model of Disability . We believe a Social Security system should empower, not penalise. It should be built on trust, support, and to remove the disabling extra costs of disability which are on average are £1,010 a month. We hope you will raise these concerns in Parliament and in your work locally, and we would be happy meet with you to engage with you further on this urgent matter. Yours sincerely, Greater Manchester Disabled People’s Panel Greater Manchester Equality Alliance Greater Manchester Disabled People’s Panel Greater Manchester Equality Alliance LGBTQ+ Equality Panel Greater Manchester Older People’s Equality Panel Greater Manchester Race Equality Panel GMCA Women and Girl’s Equality Panel Youth Combined Authority
May 22, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Reposted
gmcdp.bsky.social
GM Disabled People’s Panel launches Feeling Good! Small grants up to £5,000 to support the Mental Wellbeing of Disabled People.
Read our Report: gmdisabledpeoplespanel.com/gm-mental-we...
Deadline to apply- Mon 7th July.
tinyurl.com/MHWGDP25
Poster for the grants with sunbeams and drawings of a group of diverse disabled people in a city park with a rainbow hot air ballon in the sky.
April 14, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Reposted
gmcdp.bsky.social
Invite your MP to the DPAC briefing in Parliament next Monday, example letter docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Draft Letter to MP
[Your full address] [And postcode] [Date] Dear [MP’s Name], My name is [your name] and I am writing to you today as a disabled resident/disabled ally in your constituency. I am writing to you about ...
docs.google.com
March 10, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Reposted
gmcdp.bsky.social
Not sure who your MP is or how to contact them?
Go here writetothem.com
Put in your postcode and it will show you.
Then tell your MP how the proposed cuts to benefits must not happen.
WriteToThem
WriteToThem is a website which provides an easy way to contact MPs, councillors and other elected representatives.
writetothem.com
March 11, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Reposted
justfairuk.bsky.social
🤝 We’re looking for new members to join our Lived Experience Advisory Group.

If you have experience of injustice and want to help shape the fight for everyday rights, this is a chance to bring your knowledge into our work and influence change.

Apply now
justfair.org.uk/wp-c...
March 11, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Reposted
gmcdp.bsky.social
Artificial Intelligence and Disability Conference
Thurs 20th March, People's History Museum & Online
with Keynote Speaker Dr Abeba Birhane
@abeba.bsky.social
Book Now! gmcdp.com/civicrm/even...
GMCDP graphic, yellow background with an eye in black and white with ten spoked iris at centre.
January 30, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Reposted
gmcdp.bsky.social
#SafeSickPay
• Strengthen Statutory Sick Pay by increasing the basic rate

• Remove the lower earnings limit for Statutory Sick Pay to make it available to all workers

• Remove the waiting period for Statutory Sick Pay so that it is paid from the first day of sickness

Take action 👇
Safe Sick Pay Campaign
We build national organising campaigns for a more progressive society. We do this by driving our own campaigns, carrying out research on what works and offering training and consultancy.
www.centreforprogressivechange.org
February 7, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Reposted
pbe.co.uk
1/ Disability benefits are more than financial support—they’re life-changing.

Our new report for @z2ktrust.bsky.social show the wellbeing benefits of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) outweigh their costs. 🧵

Read: www.probonoeconomics.com/more-than-mo...
A person sitting at a desk with his hand on his head
January 27, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Reposted
pollardtom.bsky.social
Pretty wild that the previous government claimed the 'substantial risk' [of harm to physical or mental health] criteria in the Work Capability Assessment needed reform because it was being overused, while withholding the fact that its use had peaked nine years earlier & was now at an all time low
Quote from Big Issue piece: "But an internal graph released by the DWP as part of the judicial review proceedings showed that the proportion of decisions that were due to substantial risk had peaked in 2015 and was now as low as it had ever been back to when the WCA was introduced. This data was available to the DWP but not to the public, and the downward trend of cases was not mentioned in the consultation document."
January 16, 2025 at 12:59 PM
stratleadgmdpp.bsky.social
We contributed to this important submission from Just Fair on the state of our everyday rights in the UK. The system is broken, and the situation is only getting worse. Read the submission now justfair.org.uk/submission-t...
January 22, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Reposted
justfairuk.bsky.social
🍽️ In the UK, at least 1.4 million emergency food parcels were distributed in 6 months, over half a million for children – which is just the tip of the iceberg.

The levels of hunger in the UK is a human rights crisis. It's time to enshrine the right to food in law.
justfair.org.uk/we-n...
We need a human rights-based response to tackling poverty and hunger | Just Fair
This article was written by Alex Firth, Advocacy and Comms Officer, originally published in the Big Issue. This year 1.4 million emergency food parcels were given out to hungry people between April and September, more than half a million of these for children, according to figures released yesterday by Trussell. Years of economic decline has […]
justfair.org.uk
January 15, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Reposted
z2ktrust.bsky.social
Ayla Ozmen, our Director of Policy and Campaigns, says “the idea that people are claiming disability benefits on the back of self-diagnosed mental health problems is inaccurate and misleading".

Read her full quote in the @bigissue.com 👇

www.bigissue.com/news/social-...
Can people actually self-diagnose with mental illness and claim benefits?
In theory, you can get disability benefits without a diagnosis, but the realities of claiming support are often much more complicated.
www.bigissue.com
January 15, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Reposted
z2ktrust.bsky.social
The Renters' Rights Bill, which went through report stage yesterday, marks a huge step forward in increasing renters' security and rights.

But "the glaring gap in the bill is... the lack of measures to slam the brakes on soaring rents" (@generationrent.bsky.social)

www.bigissue.com/opinion/rent...
Labour's Renters' Rights Bill is a step forward – but there's a glaring gap
The Renters' Rights Bill will improve the lives of tenants across England but the government must find an answer to record-high rents.
www.bigissue.com
January 15, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Reposted
justfairuk.bsky.social
🎒 Education is a human right, but schools are facing tough choices as costs rise.

Headteachers warn this could affect teacher pay & support for students with special educational needs. Fair funding is essential to protect children’s right to education.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Rising costs force 'difficult choices' on schools
A new report says schools in England may have to make cuts to meet pupils' needs and cover pay rises.
www.bbc.com
January 15, 2025 at 4:02 PM
stratleadgmdpp.bsky.social
This report includes our GM Panel findings that disabled people are more likely to live in poor housing conditions, which negatively affects their health
justfairuk.bsky.social Just Fair @justfairuk.bsky.social · Dec 10
🚨 This Human Rights Day we are launching our new report on the right to health in the UK.

This report could not be more timely; it looks at how the right to health has been eroded across the UK and proposes some solutions.

🧵 A thread 1/9
justfair.org.uk/the-right-to...
The right to health report launch
December 10, 2024 at 12:47 PM
Reposted
evefrancisholt.bsky.social
Important discussions with GM Disabled People’s Panel & Andy Burnham today.

We agreed on importance of language, next steps in co-designing GM Social Care Commission & working together to fundamentally shift the system to enable everyone to live well. #LiveWellGM
👉 gmdisabledpeoplespanel.com
Collage of three photos of GM Disabled People’s panel meeting with Andy Burnham, Mayor of GM.
December 3, 2024 at 10:22 PM
stratleadgmdpp.bsky.social
Thanks for sharing
justfairuk.bsky.social Just Fair @justfairuk.bsky.social · Dec 4
Following yesterday's International Day of Disabilities, check out evidence we received from Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People @GMCDP highlighting rights issues in the UK including:
👨‍💼Work
🪫Fuel poverty
👩‍⚕️Social care
🏚️Housing
💷Social security

justfair.org.uk/wp-content/u...
justfair.org.uk
December 4, 2024 at 3:21 PM
Reposted
z2ktrust.bsky.social
It's good to see @allymcgovern.bsky.social acknowledge that past 'crackdowns' on social security have made it harder for disabled people to enter work.

Yet the government has still not set a date for its promised review of universal credit. The basic rate of UC must be increased.
Welfare system failing the sick and the taxpayer, says employment minister
A green paper on welfare reform is due next year and is expected to address issues with benefit claims
www.independent.co.uk
December 4, 2024 at 11:54 AM
Reposted
justfairuk.bsky.social
🍽️ In the UK, 1.4 million emergency food parcels were distributed in 6 months, over half a million for children.

The levels of hunger in one of the world's richest nations is a human rights crisis. It's time to enshrine the right to food in law.
justfair.org.uk/we-need-a-hu...
We need a human rights-based response to tackling poverty and hunger | Just Fair
This article was written by Alex Firth, Advocacy and Comms Officer, originally published in the Big Issue. This year 1.4 million emergency food parcels were given out to hungry people between April an...
justfair.org.uk
December 4, 2024 at 2:48 PM