In November 2023, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced this year’s autumn statement. Among other things, this included the introduction of measures that will severely disadvantage disabled people and those with long-term conditions who are currently out of work and relying on social support. You can read Astriid’s full statement, opposing these measures, in this blog post, and keep reading to find out how to write to your MP.
Many of our supporters have expressed a desire to contact their MPs to challenge these changes, and have been looking for support and resources to help them communicate their opposition. Therefore, we have created a template email that you can download and personalise, ready to send directly to your local MP. Click the link below to download a copy of the template letter.
Make sure you carefully read the letter through, and feel free to make any edits or changes as you see fit. The sections in red are for you to personalise, and share in your own voice how these changes may impact you. We strongly recommend you copy and paste the text from the document into the body of a new email, and send directly to your MP. You can find your local MP and their contact details here.
The download in this blog post is in Word format by default. If you require this information in another format, please email [email protected].
No matter who you are, your voice matters. Join us, and write to your MP. There is a general election on the horizon, and writing to your MP lets them know that this is an important issue that must be addressed. The more people who contact their MP and raise their concerns, the harder it becomes to ignore this issue or brush it to one side.
Our thoughts are with any of our beneficiaries or readers who are suffering fear or distress following this announcement. You can access free impartial advice via Scope’s helpline for disabled people and their families, and access support for your mental health via Mind’s helpline. We will be closely following the actions and implications that come after this statement, and continue to advocate for people with long-term conditions wherever we can.
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At Astriid, we are experts by experience in long-term conditions at work. We’re a small charity operating in very tough financial times, with no official funding. If you are able, please consider making a donation to help fund our work, or show your support and spread the word on social media. Thank you so much in advance.