Westminster Hall Debate
We have, through our ‘Arthritis Champions’ in the House of Commons, moved a backbench debate in Westminster Hall, to be held on Thursday 20 October. This debate will be discussing, primarily the themes of Arthritis Research UK’s Share Your Everyday campaign and we will be briefing MPs as such.
In support of our campaign, we aim for this debate to be an opportunity for MPs to share their own experiences of arthritis in order to encourage more people with arthritis to tell with their own stories about living with the condition and how it affects their day-to-day lives.
The focus of the debate will largely be on osteoarthritis and back pain, the burden of these conditions on both the individual and society, the challenges that these conditions raise for the health and care system and the support people with arthritis receive in and out of work.
DCLG consultation on proposed retention of 100% of business rates by local authorities
The policy team will be submitting a response to this consultation, making the case that the proposed transition from the current system of 50% retention of business rates and 50% of central government grants to 100% retention will have a significant impact on people with arthritis. In particular we are focusing on the potential for increased health inequalities due to the loss of the public health grant and the impact on social care if Attendance Allowance and the Better Care Fund are funded by business rates in the future.
Share Your Everyday campaign
Kicking off on World Arthritis Day this October, Share your Everyday will run for six weeks. Following the same format as last year, the campaign will give people with arthritis an opportunity to share their experience of living with arthritis – we want to hear how they push back the limits of arthritis to make their everyday life better.
More information will be available at www.arthritisresearchuk.org soon.