Sign in

Emma

@epickirbz.bsky.social
268 followers 886 following 79 posts

Supporting people with 🔵 ME/CFS, 🟣 Fibromyalgia & 🟢🩶 Long Covid |✊ Unapologetically Socialist | ⚖️ Benefits Wizardry in action | ♿ Disabled & Proud | 🧠 SpLD + ADHD | ⚡ Endometriosis | 🌀 Hypermobile | 🐈 Ginger cat sidekick |📍 Sheffield based | ❤️ Leeds made

PostsRepliesMedia
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 29/06/2025
They say we can’t afford to support disabled people. But they’ve found £73 billion to hand to private landlords between 2024 and 2029. They claim they need to make £5 billion in “savings”, so they take it from disabled people instead of introducing rent caps or building council homes. #TakingthePIP
071
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
My Hot Take: We don’t need to thank MPs for signing an amendment that stops disabled people being pushed further into poverty. That’s not allyship, that’s doing the bare minimum of their job. If it takes public pressure for you to defend our rights, you're part of the problem.
010
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
Thread: The Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill. Here’s a breakdown of what it does.
110
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
In April I submitted an FOI request to DWP asking how disabled people can access forms and communication by email. They missed the deadline. Then ignored the internal review request. It’s now with the ICO. #DisabilityRights #FOI #AccessToWork #PIP #DWP #ReasonableAdjustments #EqualityAct
130
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
DWP has released internal PIP & WCA training docs on Fibromyalgia & Long Covid after an FOI request. They’ve redacted parts under Section 31 (crime prevention). www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/free... #DisabilityRights #FOI #PIP #WCA #LongCovid #Fibromyalgia #WelfareReform #DWP
whatdotheyknow.com
Freedom of Information Request: PIP Core Training and Guidance (TAG) Materials on Fibromyalgia and Long Covid - a Freedom of Information request to Department for Work and Pensions
Dear Department for Work and Pensions, I am making a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please provide the following information: A copy of the most recent PIP Core Training and Gui...
021
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Access to Work have refused my reconsideration, again by post, despite requesting email. I sent medical evidence. I work for a DPO. Their own assessor backed support. Still refused. This scheme is failing disabled people. I’m exhausted. And I know I’m not the only one. #AccessToWork #AtW
020
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
This is not a coherent anti-poverty strategy. It is crisis management. Calling it “resilience” suggests the problem is people not coping, rather than a broken system pushing people into poverty in the first place. This is not resilience. It is survival. www.bigissue.com/news/social-...
bigissue.com
Labour reveals £1bn plan to replace household support fund for poorest families
Labour laid out plans to spend £1bn a year replacing the household support fund with a new crisis and resilience fund at the spending review.
030
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 08/06/2025
Can we talk about the fact the gov wants to scrap a benefit that’s existed for over 100 years? New Style ESA & JSA are based on NI contributions. They're being replaced by short-term insurance. Not if, just how short. A quiet attack on workers' rights. #WelfareNotWarfare #WorkersRights
010
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
Missing the March, Not the Movement. Join the online protest on 7 June 2025 at 12pm if you can’t attend in London. Post about disability rights and welfare cuts using #WelfareNotWarfare #TakingThePIP #StopTheCuts #TaxTheRich #DisabilityRebellion
Digital protest poster with a soft pastel gradient background blending light blue, lavender, and pink. On the left-hand side is a large 3D-style purple and silver megaphone, with a coiled, shiny ribbon emerging from it on the right. The text is  in black. The layout is split into clear sections.

Headline (top left):
“Missing the March, Not the Movement.” (Bold black text)

Main event info (centre-right):
“12pm on Saturday 7th June 2025” (Bold black text)
“If you can’t join the People’s Assembly protest in London on 7 June at 12pm, take part in the online protest from wherever you are.” (Smaller black text)

Body text (bottom centre):
“You can make a difference by amplifying your voice on social media, sharing banners, art, stories, and data, while championing disability rights and welfare changes. Don’t forget these hash tags:”

Hashtags (in bold black text):
#WelfareNotWarfare | #TakingThePIP | #StopTheCuts | #TaxTheRich | #DisabilityRebellion
030
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
DWP released new PIP assessor training on ME/CFS—but redacted over 40 pages on due to possible benefit fraud. Review requested. No updated training for Fibro or Long Covid either. Transparency matters. FOI: www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/3023... #ME #CFS #DWP #PIP #HAAS #training
whatdotheyknow.com
000
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
Apathy isn’t harmless. It gives permission for injustice to carry on unchecked. Sign the petitions, email your MP, join the Mass Lobby. bit.ly/m/Stop-the-c...
White background with the text: 

Apathy Is Not Neutral – It’s Part of the Problem

We’re facing devastating cuts to disability benefits. This will push hundreds of thousands into poverty, stripping away support that keeps people afloat.

If you’re not disabled, but you know someone who is – a friend, a colleague, a family member – this affects them. And if you stay silent, it affects you too.

Apathy isn’t harmless. It gives permission for injustice to carry on unchecked.

Please don’t look away. Take 5 minutes to:

Sign a petition

Email your MP (we’ve made it easy)

Join the campaign

Everything you need is here:
https://bit.ly/m/Stop-the-cuts

Silence helps no one. Solidarity changes everything.
000
Reposted by Emma
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
This is not just another petition. It's an official UK Government petition — at 10,000 signatures they must respond, at 100,000 it must be considered for debate. Let's speak out, together. #DisabilityRights #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs
petition.parliament.uk
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 ...
112
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Resharing to encourage more to sign!
030
Reposted by Emma
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
The DWP’s ‘Pathways to Work’ Green Paper proposes devastating cuts to disability benefits. This isn’t support — it’s coercion. We need a system built with disabled people, not imposed on them. Sign the official petition today #ScrapTheGreenPaper
petition.parliament.uk
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 ...
142
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Join us at Sheffield ME & Fibro Group’s AGM with guest speaker Dr Michelle Bull (Physios for ME), sharing insights incl. Norway’s ME/Long Covid conference. 🕒 2:15pm start (Zoom opens 2:05pm) Register: bit.ly/SMEFG-AGM-2025 #MEcfs #LongCovid #Physiotherapy
Promotional graphic for an online event by Sheffield ME & Fibromyalgia Group featuring Dr Michelle Bull from Physios for ME as the guest speaker. The event is scheduled for May 20, 2025, from 2:15 PM to 3:15 PM, following the group's Annual General Meeting. The banner includes a photo of Dr Bull, who is described as a Chartered Physiotherapist and NHS Transformation Manager. The talk will focus on improving local services using national and international best practices, with a special mention of physiotherapy. The image includes registration details (bit.ly/SMEFG-AGM-2025) and logos for Physios for ME, Sheffield ME & Fibromyalgia Group, and ME Local Groups Network UK. A summary highlights Dr Bull’s extensive experience with ME and Long Covid, her co-authorship of a physiotherapy guide, and her leadership in the Frailty Academy at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust. Website: www.sheffieldmegroup.co.uk.
020
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
If Access to Work is cut, small charities lose staff. Communities lose vital services. 📊 26% of charity workers are disabled 💸 34% of small charities have no reserves 🌍 £20bn+ social value at risk It’s not saving — it’s sacrifice. #AccessToWork #SmallCharities #Inclusion #AtW #VoluntarySector
disabilitynewsservice.com
Second wave of cuts could lead to ‘decimation’ of Access to Work scheme, but DWP refuses to comment
The Labour government has launched a new cost-cutting drive aimed at Access to Work, which insiders fear could destroy the scheme and lead to disabled people being forced to quit their jobs. Leaked…
020
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
The very thing the government claims to want — pushing more disabled people into employment — is undermined by their own actions. #AccessToWork #DWP #Disability www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/...
thecanary.co
The DWP has tried to hide major changes to a grant scheme for disabled people
A whistleblower has exposed DWP plans for changes to the Access to Work scheme - ones that it hasn't made public yet
031
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
The DWP’s ‘Pathways to Work’ Green Paper proposes devastating cuts to disability benefits. This isn’t support — it’s coercion. We need a system built with disabled people, not imposed on them. Sign the official petition today #ScrapTheGreenPaper
petition.parliament.uk
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 ...
142
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
18 weeks waiting for an Access to Work reconsideration. I also submitted a complaint about delays and poor communication—exhausted in Jan and escalated to ICE in Feb. Still no update. These delays are putting my job at risk. Ombudsman next. #AccessToWork #DisabilityRights #DWP #DisabilitySupport
020
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 13/04/2025
A real alternative to Labour in the local #Doncaster Elections in May. For trade unionists, anti-cuts campaigners, community activists, socialists and anyone seeking a working-class alternative to establishment parties. www.tusc.org.uk/21300/18-12-...
A pink banner with the words: no cuts, closures or privatisation. Strike, organise, resist. TUSC Against Cuts. Join the fight against Tory & Labour austerity. www.tusc.org.uk. vote for Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.
082
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
Disabled people who can walk short distances shouldn’t be afraid to park in a disabled space and walk into a store. Wheelchair users shouldn’t fear standing up or moving their legs. Disabled people shouldn’t feel anxious about using a cane only on their bad days.
362
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
125 days since I submitted my request for a reconsideration on my Access to Work claim. #accesstowork #dwp #delays #Atw
031
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
I was clutching my pearls for a while there! Legal firms incl. Leigh Day, PLP & Bhatt Murphy are exploring action against £4.5bn PIP cuts + more. Some measures won’t even be consulted on – just rammed through (4 points rule). I’ve been hoping this would happen. #StopTheCuts #BenefitCuts #CutsKill
052
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
In light Green Paper and "Welfare reform" and the increasing barriers to accessing support, there are a number of petitions that may be of interest. To prevent diluting our voices I urge you to sign all of them. These petitions call for urgent reforms and protections, including:
111
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
123 days since I submitted my #AccessToWork reconsideration. Applied: 26 Apr 2024 Assessed: 20 Nov 2024 Reconsideration sent: 7 Dec 2024 Still waiting. No updates. #DWP delays are leaving disabled workers without the tools we need. #DisabilityRights #WorkAndDisability #AccessToWorkFail
101
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
Shocking to see MPs who claim to champion people with ME/CFS back DWP benefit cuts that will hit the community hardest. You can’t support them and strip away their lifelines. #MECFS #DisabilityRights #StopTheCuts #ChronicIllness #DWP #BenefitCuts #Politics #MEAwareness
thecanary.co
Two MPs openly back DWP benefit cuts - yet sit on the parliamentary group for ME/CFS
Two MPs openly back DWP benefit cuts - yet sit on the parliamentary group for ME/CFS from Canary on 1 April 2025
22012
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
"Skill With Prizes" games exploit loopholes to avoid gambling regulations, putting players at risk. The law is outdated—it's time for stronger protections. 📢 Sign the petition & demand change! chng.it/ffWnqsvNbc #GamblingReform #ConsumerProtection #FairPlay #UKLaw #EndExploitation
000
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Many are criticising the police for taking 24 hours, but de-escalation takes time. Rushing in could have put more lives at risk. UK policing prioritises safety over force—surely that’s a good thing? A careful approach prevents unnecessary harm. #Sheffield #PoliceResponse
110
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
Heard of the RCCX gene theory? It links a genetic cluster to conditions like hEDS, ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune disorders. Variations may impact immunity, hypermobility, and neurological symptoms potentially explaining why these conditions overlap. #RCCX #ChronicIllness
121
Reposted by Emma
Z2K (Zacchaeus 2000 Trust) @z2ktrust.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Reports suggest that the government is considering major restrictions to vital payments for disabled people, which would put disabled people at risk of poverty and sanctions. Time is running out to defend this vital support. Write to your MP today. z2k.eaction.org.uk/MP-Secretary...
z2k.eaction.org.uk
Ask your MP to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
002
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
The govt wants to cut £3bn from disability benefits while claiming to support disabled people into work. Cuts & sanctions don’t help—they harm. 📩 Ask your MP to urge the DWP to protect support for disabled people using Z2K's Template. #StopTheCuts #DWP #DisabilityRights
z2k.eaction.org.uk
Ask your MP to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
024
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Tax Evasion vs. Benefits Crackdown Labour hunts disabled people for “fraud” while the UK loses £5.5bn to tax evasion & £14bn in legal loopholes for the rich. Meanwhile, £14.4bn in unclaimed benefits goes ignored. #TaxTheRich #WelfareCuts #DWP #DisabilityJustice #Labour
wsws.org
UK Labour government to impose massive welfare cuts and criminalisation of benefits claimants
Every single penny seized from disabled people, and millions of other benefit claimants will be going towards massively increased military spending.
423
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Access to Work doesn't work but Labour expects disabled people to work Labour wants more disabled people in work, but Access to Work (AtW) is still a bureaucratic nightmare. Long delays, poor communication, & inconsistent decisions block disabled people from getting the support they need. 1/5
100
Reposted by Emma
Big Issue @bigissue.com · 31/01/2025
Disability benefits claimants are experiencing “unacceptably poor service” from the DWP, according to a damning report. 📄 It said it is “concerning that DWP is not providing a decent service to all its customers, including some of the most vulnerable in society.” ⬇️ bit.ly/40wpwkM
41311
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Osbornes Law has dropped its judicial review after the Lord Chancellor agreed to reinstate escape fees for welfare benefits legal aid cases. www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/welfare... #LegalAid #WelfareRights #AccessToJustice #DWP #Law
lawgazette.co.uk
Welfare benefits decision prompts firm to drop legal aid JR
Lawyers will be able to claim total costs at hourly rates when costs exceed three times the £208 fixed fee.
020
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error & Recovery) Bill introduces driving bans for benefit debts & bank surveillance for fraud detection. Critics warn of mass surveillance & privacy risks. #DWP #BenefitFraud #Surveillance #WelfareRights #PrivacyRights
010
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
DWP confirms over 100,000 ESA claimants have been migrated to Universal Credit since the deadline for issuing migration notices was changed to Dec 2025. Critics warn vulnerable claimants still face barriers & risks of losing support. #UniversalCredit #ESA #DWP #ManagedMigration #WelfareRights
000
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Frances Ryan argues that Labour prioritising tax cuts over disability benefits feels like a betrayal—for disabled people, it’s not just politics, it’s survival. 📖 Read more: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... #DisabilityRights #BenefitsCuts #Labour #FrancesRyan #Poverty #DWP
theguardian.com
As Labour touts more brutal cuts to benefits, how is this different from life under the Tories? | Frances Ryan
There may be no nasty impulse to punish ‘skivers’, but the end result – those who need help most hit hardest – is exactly the same, says columnist Frances Ryan
142
Emma @epickirbz.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
The Independent Case Examiner (ICE) office is experiencing unprecedented delays due to high demand. No time scales given, just that it will be "some time" before initial contact. #IndependentCaseExaminer #ICE #Benefits #DWP #Complaint #DelayedJustice
000