Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People
LightNews LightNews
banner
gmcdp.bsky.social
Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People
@gmcdp.bsky.social
680 followers 430 following 77 posts
Disabled People's Organisation (100% exec & staff are disabled people working from Social Model of Disability & Disability Justice)
#RightsNotCharity
https://gmcdp.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
gmcdp.bsky.social
Disability History Month Celebration - JOY!
By Disabled People's Archive & North West Film Archive

Manchester Central Library
Dec 4 from 12pm to 4pm GMT
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/disability...
Disability History Month Celebration - JOY!
The Disabled People's Archive (DPA) and North West Film Archive (NWFA) are hosting a free event to celebrate the DPA's new project & UKDHM.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 12:54 PM
gmcdp.bsky.social
JOB!
PA to GMCDP Staff Member, closing date: 26 Nov
Hours: 28 hours per week, including planned evenings and weekends
Location: Hybrid (home-based, travel within Manchester)
Salary: £16 per hour; (£29,000 per annum FTE) - funded by Access to Work.
Contract: until March 2026 in the first instance.
Jobs | Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People
gmcdp.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:11 PM
gmcdp.bsky.social
Celebrate International Day of Disabled People with GMCDP on Wednesday 03 December 2025
For more information and to book your free place:
👉 iddpsocial.eventbrite.co.uk

youtu.be/1oOtLS0Yn_c?...
November 11, 2025 at 2:40 PM
gmcdp.bsky.social
Disabled people have warned for years that welfare reform pushes us deeper into poverty and exclusion.

Now the UN has called out the UK again. It's time for rights, dignity, and justice at home.

We write with @justfairuk.bsky.social in the Big Issue
Universal credit is back in the dock – this time at the United Nations
United Nations special rapporteurs have called for the UK government to question its reforms to universal credit.
www.bigissue.com
October 6, 2025 at 1:15 PM
gmcdp.bsky.social
💼 We’re hiring! Part-time Operational Manager at GMCDP.
Join us to keep our operations running smoothly & support disabled people’s rights.
📍 Remote (flexible hours)
💰 £21,600 pro rata (£36k FTE)
⏳ Apply by 27 Oct
🔗 gmcdp.com/jobs
#GMCDP #Hiring #DisabilityRights #Operations
October 2, 2025 at 5:34 PM
gmcdp.bsky.social
Benefit Tips Social!
Wednesday, October 15・6:00pm
Online and In Person at Proud Trust
Includes Pizza and creative social session!
Book Now
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/benefits-t...
September 24, 2025 at 12:27 PM
gmcdp.bsky.social
We’re recruiting for 4 roles on our Disabled People’s Archive 🎉
Thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund (made possible by National Lottery players) we’re looking for an Archive Project Assistant (staff), plus freelance Oral Historian & Evaluator. (1/2)
Jobs | Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People
gmcdp.com
September 18, 2025 at 11:41 AM
gmcdp.bsky.social
Don't fight the DWP alone, do it with friends!
Benefits Tips Social
Wed July 16・6:00pm
The Proud Trust
49-51 Sidney St M1 7HB
Join us for our hybrid Benefits Tips Social - an evening of disability-related Benefits tips and peer support.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/benefits-t...
Benefits Tips Social
Join us for our hybrid Benefits Tips Social - an evening of disability-related Benefits tips and peer support.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
July 14, 2025 at 1:48 PM
gmcdp.bsky.social
🚨🚨🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨🚨🚨

The United Nations is calling for the UK Government to stop the Universal Credit (PIP) Bill because it will 'deepen the signs of regression' in disabled people's human rights.

tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/...
tbinternet.ohchr.org
July 8, 2025 at 4:23 PM
gmcdp.bsky.social
Tell your MP to vote against the Universal Credit (PIP) Bill, it will put 50,000 disabled people into poverty.
Also ask them to support these Amendments:
Amendments 14 & 15 by Neil Duncan-Jordan MP - These crucial amendments would remove the dangerous UC cuts from the bill, leaving the bill as an uprating of UC. Amendment 2(a) by Richard Burgon MP - This would eliminate the punitive change to UC Health, which proposes a lower rate for all but those in the new serious conditions criteria group. Amendment NC10 by Nadia Whittome MP - This would ensure that there is a human rights analysis of the bill, which has been completely absent thus far. Amendment NC11 by Dr Marie Tidball MP - which would put a 12-month timeline on the ‘Timms Review’ and make it accountable to MPs by requiring a vote for any of its recommendations to be implemented. Amendment NC8 by John McDonnell - which prevents any proposal from the Timms review adversely affecting anyone’s eligibility for PIP. Amendment by Debbie Abrahams (19) - which changes the date on which the universal credit cuts start, from April 2026 to November 2026. Amendment NC4 by Stella Creasy - which calls for a duty to have due regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People in exercising any power under this Act. Amendment by Kirsty Blackman (33) - which removes the requirement that, for the severe conditions criteria, a diagnosis must have been made by a health professional providing NHS services. Amendment by Graeme Downie (17) - which allows for the severe conditions criteria to apply to claimants who have fluctuating conditions, such as Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis.
July 8, 2025 at 11:50 AM
gmcdp.bsky.social
Deadline to apply is rapidly approaching, Monday 7th July!
gmcdp.bsky.social Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People @gmcdp.bsky.social · Apr 14
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.
July 4, 2025 at 9:31 AM
gmcdp.bsky.social
The Universal Credit and PIP Bill and Green Paper are the wrong policy approach and harmful. The ‘concessions’ do not alter this. We ask MP’s to vote the bill down on Tuesday.
Please continue to seek ways to talk to MP’s and their staff to give them this message.
June 28, 2025 at 12:33 PM
gmcdp.bsky.social
Human Rights Watch: UK Social Security Plans Will Harm People With Disabilities -
Proposed Benefit Cuts Will Worsen Poverty and Undermine Rights
UK Social Security Plans Will Harm People With Disabilities
While the UK government claims its moves “will protect the most vulnerable,” in reality its plans to cut £4.5 billion in disability-linked benefits by 2030 will have a devastating impact on people’s r...
www.hrw.org
June 23, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Reposted by Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People
lgbtfdn.bsky.social
Refuse to be invisible! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Now is the time to make our voices heard, sharing our experiences in the EHRC Consultation which affects LGBTQ+ people.

We've created a handy guide to help plan your response, get started now and share this post.

www.lgbt.foundation/EHRC
June 3, 2025 at 5:43 PM
gmcdp.bsky.social
The Greater Manchester Disabled People’s Panel (GMDPP) statement on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill:
gmdisabledpeoplespanel.com/2024/11/27/g...
The GM Disabled People’s Panel is comprised of 16 organisations led by disabled people, we have a breadth of views across our organisations on Assisted Dying. However on the specific matter of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill we believe now is the wrong time to be supporting such legislation. With ongoing austerity, our Social Care, Social Security, and Healthcare systems are in perpetual crisis with unmet need increasing. Disabled People are not getting the support they need to live. As Covid showed us, medical professionals have a low level of understanding of the realities of disabled people’s lives and we were disproportionately the greatest number of dead from the pandemic. We have also been through two United Nations examinations that have found the UK is committing continued grave and systemic human rights abuses of disabled people. Until we can rely on our needs and Rights being met to thrive in society, the risk from this Bill of coerced euthanasia is too great to accept.
June 20, 2025 at 10:39 AM
gmcdp.bsky.social
First reading today after Urgent Questions And Statements at 12:30 commonsbusiness.parliament.uk/Document/955...

PRESENTATION OF BILLS
No debate (Standing Order No. 57) Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment
Secretary Liz Kendall Bill to make provision to alter the rates...
Order Paper for 18 June 2025
commonsbusiness.parliament.uk
June 18, 2025 at 7:24 AM
gmcdp.bsky.social
There's still time to apply for our CEO vacancy. It's part time and flexible. gmcdp.com/jobs
gmcdp.bsky.social Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People @gmcdp.bsky.social · May 30
Are you a disabled leader committed to disability rights and the Social Model of Disability?

Do you believe in the power of grassroots activism, user-led change and inclusive leadership?

Could you be our new CEO?

gmcdp.com/jobs

#DisabilityRights
#NonprofitJobs
#GreaterManchesterJobs
#UKJobs
Jobs | Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People
gmcdp.com
June 17, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Reposted by Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People
mdpac.bsky.social
Save The Date! We will be holding the first GM Disability Pride March on Saturday 5th July in Central Manchester, route will be announced soon.
manchesterdpac.com
Manchester Disabled People Against Cuts
We are disabled people in Greater Manchester and surrounding areas fighting for our rights.
manchesterdpac.com
June 11, 2025 at 5:19 PM
gmcdp.bsky.social
Need help and peer support with your Social Security/DWP? Come along to Benefit Tips Social
Thurs 12th June
6-9pm at Proud Place or online, register here
gmcdp.com/civicrm/even...

Location of Proud Place
what3words.com/trees.cling....
Two yellow speech bubbles on white backdrop, in the bubbles are GMCDP cogs.
June 6, 2025 at 1:19 PM
gmcdp.bsky.social
Are you a disabled leader committed to disability rights and the Social Model of Disability?

Do you believe in the power of grassroots activism, user-led change and inclusive leadership?

Could you be our new CEO?

gmcdp.com/jobs

#DisabilityRights
#NonprofitJobs
#GreaterManchesterJobs
#UKJobs
Jobs | Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People
gmcdp.com
May 30, 2025 at 2:42 PM
gmcdp.bsky.social
Citizens Advice condemn Green Paper cuts
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...
Pathways to Poverty: How planned cuts to disability benefits will impact the people we support
Pathways to Poverty: How planned cuts to disability benefits will impact the people we support
www.citizensadvice.org.uk
May 28, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Reposted by Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People
cathycbreen.bsky.social
23 May, two days since mass lobby of UK Parliament on 21 May. Recovering at home in Manchester. Read ALT text of the images below for more. Have a good Bank Holiday all @jeffsmithmp.bsky.social @well-adapt.bsky.social @crips-against-cuts.bsky.social @dis-ppl-protest.bsky.social @gmcdp.bsky.social
Parliament on 21 May 2025. Three residents of Manchester Withington constituency meet Jeff Smith MP, in Westminster Hall during a Mass Lobby of MPs. Despite late trains and cancelled ones, London traffic, crowds, queues, the usual misunderstandings and many reschescheduling communications, we made it! I spoke with tears at times; passionate and heartfelt. Grateful to Jeff for listening attentively and respectfully in the noisy and busy Westminster Hall. Hopefully, this trip has made sense. According to one Manchester-based group of disabled leaders, reforms to welfare in the green paper will harm the UK Social Security system, the welfare state, and our economy, nationally, locally and personally. To prevent this, we ask the UK Government to work with disabled people, instead of making decisions about us, without us. Parliament does not yet have the full picture. Vital information is missing. Incorrect, and misleading judgements are harmful. Photo taken in UK Parliament, Westminster Hall. From left to right: Jeff Smith MP; Cathy Breen; Kyda Grabham; Helen Clark.
May 23, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Reposted by Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People
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 by Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People
turn2us.org.uk
The DWP Pathways to Work Green Paper proposes cuts to disability benefits we believe would be devastating. One of the organisations we work with, @gmcdp.bsky.social, has created a petition, calling on the Government to drop these proposals.

Sign here: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/72...
Petition: Abandon DWP Pathways to Work Green Paper & create National Disability Strategy
The DWP Green Paper Pathways to Work proposes what we think are devastating cuts to disability benefits. We think the Government must drop these proposals and instead begin a process of co-production ...
petition.parliament.uk
May 14, 2025 at 10:55 AM
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