Sally Callow of Stripy Lightbulb CIC, a CPD-accredited training provider for ME/CFS, has persistently lobbied the Department for Work and Pensions since 2019. Despite DWP’s dismissal of third‑party input and reliance on discredited training materials from BACME, Callow dedicated over 50 hours of unpaid effort to promote evidence-based, patient‑centered approaches. This advocacy highlights the organization’s commitment to protecting chronically ill patients from harmful, outdated practices.

Stripy Lightbulb CIC issued a public statement expressing deep dismay and anger over the passage of the Universal Credit Bill, criticizing the rushed legislative process and the lack of proper consultation with disabled communities. The statement highlights concerns over misleading rhetoric used to justify harmful policy changes and signals a potential withdrawal of the organization’s engagement with the government.

Stripy Lightbulb CIC expressed strong dismay over the recent handling of the Welfare Reform Bill vote, specifically condemning the removal of Clause 5 and political maneuvers that marginalized disabled voices. The organization, after nine months of evidence-led and collaborative advocacy with the ME and disabled communities, called for truly inclusive and transparent policymaking.

Stripy Lightbulb CIC launched a collaborative campaign promoting an evidence-based, person-centered framework for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The initiative challenges current substandard training and outdated assessment practices for M.E., urging policymakers to embrace lived-experience informed reforms that would reduce unnecessary appeals and tribunal costs, while better serving disabled and chronically ill individuals.

Stripy Lightbulb CIC, in collaboration with over 50 disability organisations, has published an open letter urging the Chancellor to reconsider proposed welfare reforms and disability benefit cuts. The organisation’s activism, including consultancy work with the DWP and participation in benefits cuts-specific meetings with the Disability Benefits Consortium, seeks to protect marginalized disabled and chronically ill communities from the negative impacts of governmental austerity measures.

Stripy Lightbulb CIC has consistently advocated for enhanced disability inclusion measures in the workplace, specifically supporting individuals with ME/CFS, as detailed in its February 2025 article that critiques the exclusion of disability from mainstream DEI initiatives.

In January 2023, Stripy Lightbulb CIC submitted written evidence to the Plan for Jobs and Employment Inquiry to advocate for the inclusion of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (M.E/C.F.S) in policy discussions, highlighting the neglect of this condition compared to Long COVID. The submission calls attention to the economic and social challenges faced by M.E/C.F.S patients and the stigma they endure in employment.

Stripy Lightbulb CIC has undertaken a proactive campaign to address human rights abuses of ME/CFS patients by officially contacting the WHO, UN, and the UK Joint Committee on Human Rights, among other government entities, to demand accountability and improved treatment protocols.