How our campaigning made change happen in 2025

At Arthritis UK, we won’t rest until everyone with arthritis has access to the treatments and support they need to live the life they choose, with real hope of a cure in the future.  

It’s a bold ambition. And we know we can’t do it alone.

That’s why, with your help, we’ve continued to campaign for lasting change on the issues that matter most to our community. From disability benefit cuts to waiting times to better support in schools, here’s what we achieved together in 2025.

We campaigned against disability benefit cuts – and won 

Last summer, thousands of you joined our Cut to the Bone campaign, calling on the UK Government to rethink cuts to the disability benefits system.  

The planned cuts included changes to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - a benefit which helps support people with the extra costs of living with a disability or long-term condition like arthritis. These changes would have meant that more than 3 out of every 4 people with arthritis (77%) who currently receive PIP in England and Wales were at risk of losing it altogether.  

But our community took action against these potentially devastating plans. Almost 40,000 of you emailed your Member of Parliament (MP), asking them to stand with people with arthritis and help stop the cuts.  

And our campaigning worked.    

Over 130 MPs, including 120 Labour MPs, spoke out against the Universal Credit Bill, which outlined these changes. During parliamentary debates, many MPs expressed the concerns you had shared with them.  

Because of our campaigning, the UK Government announced changes to the bill – including scrapping cuts to PIP. Instead, they committed to working with disabled people on a review of PIP assessments, called the Timms Review.  

Together, we stopped the cuts. It wouldn’t have happened without pressure from people like you.  

But we still have more to do. Hundreds of thousands of people with arthritis rely on PIP, so it’s essential that the views of our community are represented in the Timms Review. That’s why we’ve invited people with arthritis to get involved with it and have spoken directly with the Minister for Disabled People, Sir Stephen Timms MP, about why he must work with our community.  

We’ll be following the progress of the review and respond to its findings in the autumn. In the meantime, we want to hear from you. Your stories are our most powerful tool for change. We need to keep sharing how important benefits like PIP are for people with arthritis, and pushing politicians to make sure the review works for our community.

We helped shape the 10 Year Health Plan in England  

In 2025, many of you took part in the UK Government’s consultation on the 10 Year Health Plan for England, sharing what it’s like living with a long-term condition such as arthritis and what needs to change so that everyone gets the care and support they need.  

The plan was published in July. And for people with arthritis, parts of the plan were promising. From a more joined up NHS, so that you don’t have to tell your story over and over again, to better access to care such as physiotherapy and weight management closer to home, this plan could have real benefits for our community.   

But what this all really means for our community is still unclear. We’ll be working hard to make sure it delivers for people with arthritis.

We drove progress on tackling waiting times

Since 2020, we’ve been pushing governments across the UK to take decisive action on long waiting times for essential planned care, like joint replacement surgery. And last year we saw real progress in Northern Ireland. The Health Minister announced £215 million to bring down waiting lists, as well as a Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme for patients who pay to get treatment in the Republic of Ireland or European Union (EU), and a £500,000 fund to provide support to people on waiting lists. 

We’ll also be watching closely to see if NHS England’s elective recovery plan meets its targets by March. And we’ll continue to drive progress on waiting times in the upcoming Scottish and Welsh elections, too.

We pushed arthritis up the agenda in Scotland

In April 2025, the Scottish Government launched a consultation on its Long Term Conditions Framework, a plan to improve care and support for people with long term conditions. As part of our response, we asked you to share your experiences of what it’s like living with arthritis in Scotland – and almost 800 of you responded. That’s twice the total number of people, with all conditions, who responded to the consultation on the Scottish Government’s website, showing just how powerful our community is when we speak out together.

We were able to submit a powerful response to the Government based on what you told us, which had a real impact. Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions were mentioned in a draft of the plan, and Arthritis UK now has a seat on the Scottish Government's Expert Reference Group, driving the development of the framework.  

But our work isn’t over. We need to see the plans published, and make sure they’re turned into action for people with arthritis in Scotland.     

We lifted up the voices of young people in Wales

The Welsh Government will be reviewing its guidance for schools supporting students with healthcare needs soon. Any future changes must include what this means for children and young people with arthritis.  

That’s why group of young people visited the Senedd on World Young Rheumatic Diseases (WORD) Day, meeting Members of the Senedd (MSs). There, they spoke to MSs about the need for better support and understanding for students with arthritis in schools, as well as wider access to Individual Healthcare Plans that clearly outline and agree student’s additional support needs with schools.  

We’ve also been in touch with the Cabinet Secretary of State for Education and will be meeting with the government again soon to push for the review to meet the needs of children and young people in our community. 

Arthritis UK campaigning in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

What’s next for us in 2026?

2025 was a big year for Arthritis UK’s campaigning, and 2026 looks set to be even bigger.  

Elections are on the horizon in Scotland and Wales. We have an opportunity to put arthritis firmly on the agenda for the next governments. Candidates will be working hard to win our trust. And our vote. Together, let’s make sure they understand the challenges people with arthritis face, day in and day out - and how they can champion change, both locally and in Holyrood or the Senedd, if they get elected.   

With this and many more things to come, you will be at heart of our campaigning in 2026 – so keep an eye out to see how you can get involved. 

We’re here whenever you need us 

We achieved so much together in 2025, but we know that there is still a lot to do - and hundreds of thousands of people are still in need of support. 

If you would like to talk to someone, remember you can: 

• Call our free helpline on 0800 5200 520. 
• Chat with our Arthritis Virtual Assistant (AVA). 
• Join our online community. 
• Stay in touch and follow us on X (Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.