Tom MacInnes
@tommacinnes.bsky.social
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Interim Director of Policy, Citizens Advice. Policy stuff, data, graphs, that kind of thing.
A great, great thread
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4 days ago
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Tom MacInnes
Anoosh Chakelian
16 days ago
This year - one of both mat leave and reporting travels around the country - I've found an alternative story to the "Broken Britain" narrative. My column for the
@newstatesman1913.bsky.social
Christmas issue:
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I was wrong about Broken Britain
The country can feel divided and lost, but thereās always another side to the story
https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/society/2025/12/i-was-wrong-about-broken-britain
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Late shout for this. Still time to register!
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17 days ago
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Ahead of our end of year Data Insights session (sign up here! Featuring special guest
@anooshc.bsky.social
from the New Statesman
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/turning-th...
) I wrote something very short on the 2 child limit, living standards and political ambition
medium.com/p/9e10a39f80cf
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Turning the Tide or Treading Water? Living Standards After the Budget
After the governmentās key announcements and the recent Autumn Budget, weāll explore what those decisions mean for households and families.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/turning-the-tide-or-treading-water-living-standards-after-the-budget-tickets-1960351918359?aff=oddtdtcreator&_gl=1%2A159zrar%2A_up%2AMQ..%2A_ga%2AMTAwODcxNTcxMS4xNzYyODYyNjk1%2A_ga_TQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NjI4NjI2OTQkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjI4NjI2OTQkajYwJGwwJGgw&mc_cid=3195fd11a0&mc_eid=31d98f0326
20 days ago
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100% against the concept of things/ people being āoverratedā. Goes for music, football, films whatever. If you donāt like it, say what you think, donāt bring othersā opinions into it.
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26 days ago
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Tom MacInnes
Citizens Advice
27 days ago
The living standards crisis will worsen without urgent action. Targeted bill support is needed. For energy alone, it could save 5.6 million households an average of £360 a year. The government and suppliers must act now to stop people spiralling into debt.
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It is a lot of tweets but itās worth reading. As he says - you can disagree on the substance. But we need to talk about the substance!
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27 days ago
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Tom MacInnes
Citizens Advice
about 1 month ago
"Scrapping the two-child limit and addressing high energy bills will prevent hundreds of thousands of children from growing up in poverty and help households across the country keep the lights on." Our CEO responds to today's Autumn Budget ⤵ļø
https://bit.ly/4pDEOzb
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Alex Belsham-Harrris
about 1 month ago
Great to see energy bills cut by average £150 in the budget - with the focus rightly on tackling the disproportionate cost of electricity. This should make it easier for people to benefit from clean power, and support people on electric heating, who are often in the deepest fuel poverty 1/2
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Laura Hutchinson šø
about 1 month ago
Poverty is so expensive to our state and public services. It damages life chances for children and has a massive drag on the economy. Hereās what one of our brilliant frontline advisers wrote in our Budget submission on this:
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Tom MacInnes
Laura Hutchinson šø
about 1 month ago
Scrapping the two-child limit is a brilliant step forward. Reversing this cruel policy will not only pull hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty altogether (and lift many more out of very deep poverty); it will also stop over 100 additional children from being pulled into poverty every day
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Polly Mackenzie
about 1 month ago
One of the big mistakes the left made was branding tax credits as corporate welfare. You need cash transfers as well as a minimum wage because different people have different financial needs. A minimum wage high enough to support three kids and a disabled spouse is not a sensible minimum wage.
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Tom MacInnes
Stephen Bush
about 1 month ago
Why the two-child limit has to go, in a chart.
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Dan Barrett
about 1 month ago
Buckle up friend itās time for bread made out of crisps š š„ Full disclosure it was not a flawless first attempt. The aim was to make a loaf of bread where the majority ingredient is crisps. 1. Buy 450g of crisps, without shame
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Tom MacInnes
Caroline Marrows
about 1 month ago
news.sky.com/story/best-a...
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Best and worst parcel delivery companies revealed
Royal Mail, Amazon, DPD, Evri and Yodel have been ranked in light of a report from Citizens Advice, which finds millions of people are experiencing problems with their parcel deliveries.
https://news.sky.com/story/best-and-worst-parcel-delivery-companies-revealed-13472201
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Tom MacInnes
Matthew McGregor
about 2 months ago
You canāt cut child poverty without scrapping the two child benefit limit, and you canāt be a Labour government if you preside over rising child poverty. Me for
@labourlist.bsky.social
on the route to getting done what Labour must get done.
labourlist.org/2025/11/gord...
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'Gordon Brown, Labour MPs, and voters agree: Act on child poverty now' - LabourList
Gordon Brown, Labour MPs and the public agree - tax gambling companies and end child poverty now.
https://labourlist.org/2025/11/gordon-brown-gambling-tax-child-poverty/
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Really good thread from Becca here
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about 2 months ago
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Proper good news today - the Renters' Rights Act gets Royal Assent. Citizens Advice see 200 people a day with problems in private rented housing. The act shifts the balance towards tenants, but it's just the start, as
@tessthompsonca.bsky.social
says here
wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/the-renters-...
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The Rentersā Rights Act is hereāāābut the work is just beginning
After years of waiting, the Rentersā Rights Act has finally received Royal Assent and passed into law. Weāve campaigned hard for this, andā¦
https://wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/the-renters-rights-act-is-here-but-the-work-is-just-beginning-1308fb226853
2 months ago
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Tom MacInnes
Sunder Katwala (sundersays)
2 months ago
Is saying that the Jews run the world antisemitic or just vigilant? Tune in for next week's episode of "is it racist to be racist"
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Karen Buck
2 months ago
Every word of this.
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Tom MacInnes
Caroline Marrows
2 months ago
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/o...
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Millions in households in England and Wales are stuck in the red, says charity
Citizens Advice says 4 million people spending more on essentials than they earn amid ever-increasing bills
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/oct/21/millions-people-households-england-wales-stuck-in-red-citizens-advice
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Tom MacInnes
Caroline Marrows
2 months ago
www.independent.co.uk/news/busines...
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Millions stung by scams with online shopping the top trap ā Citizens Advice
The charity has urged consumers to be cautious when taking advantage of shopping deals ahead of Black Friday and Christmas.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/citizens-advice-england-mary-b2848209.html
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Tom MacInnes
Sunder Katwala (sundersays)
2 months ago
Twenty of the second tier Championship clubs in 2025 now have higher attendances than the 15k that Villa had in 1986. Football as a source of local connection + pride was in a bad way then and a much better place beyond the premiership today
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Tom MacInnes
Andrew Sissons
2 months ago
My colleague
@mashley.bsky.social
argued recently that directly reducing electricity bills (to reverse the levies) may be a better use of government money than cutting VAT. Why? Because it opens up an affordable route to get off gas and further lower bills, via electric heating
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Is removing VAT really the best way to cut energy bills?
Targeting electricity bills, subsidising bill-funded schemes, or a one-off debt forgiveness program offer more effective, fair, and sustainable solutions
https://www.nesta.org.uk/blog/is-removing-vat-really-the-best-way-to-cut-energy-bills/
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Tom MacInnes
Jagna Olejniczak
2 months ago
Excellent thread on what should guide any Jobcentre engagement with disabled claimants (many of these principles should be standard across the whole UC system - not just for those currently exempt from conditionality).
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This is what we keep seeing- and keep saying- at Citizens Advice. Was in Durham today speaking to debt advisors and no one there thought the cost of living crisis had ended.
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2 months ago
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Anoosh Chakelian
3 months ago
āI think politicians are ignoring prices and bills and hoping weāll forget about them and find something else to complain aboutā¦ā My report on how the flighty Westminster bubble forgot about the cost-of-living crisis, which certainly isn't over:
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Energy bills rise while Westminster talks immigration
Why have our politicians forgotten about the cost-of-living crisis?
https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/economy/2025/10/energy-bills-rise-while-westminster-talks-immigration
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New
@citizensadvice.bsky.social
report on Temporary Accommodation. People know that it's really expensive for local authorities to house tenants in TA, but this report shows how expensive it is for the families too.
lnkd.in/ejB5ycRU
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LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page thatās not on LinkedIn
https://lnkd.in/ejB5ycRU
3 months ago
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Tom MacInnes
Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford
3 months ago
š” Ofgemās changes on standing charges wonāt cut bills - lower charges just mean a higher cost per unit for energy. Tinkering at the edges wonāt help people this winter. We need long-term, targeted support for households facing record energy prices ⤵ļø
https://shorturl.at/NSTLZ
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Energy standing charge options coming, but they might not cut bills
The regulator's plans could be in place by the end of January, but it warns total bills won't fall.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx20dwzgq51o
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Tom MacInnes
Citizens Advice
3 months ago
Our latest data shows that peopleās problems are becoming more urgent and more complex. And the systems designed to support them are harder to navigate than ever. Join us on 25 September to hear from a panel of experts and explore our data ā¤µļø https://bit.ly/41XFPsn
#CADataInsights
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Tom MacInnes
Caroline Marrows
4 months ago
www.thirdsector.co.uk/human-guardr...
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āHuman guardrailsā are critical to AI-supported service delivery, charity innovation lead stresses
Stuart Pearson says the successful launch of a chatbot tool at Citizens Advice showed that human advisers remain of primary importance
https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/human-guardrails-critical-ai-supported-service-delivery-charity-innovation-lead-stresses/digital/article/1931314
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There was some good chat here a while back about the glorious awfulness of Ukraine 0-0 Switzerland AET at the World Cup in 2006 - aka Probably the Worst Game of All Time. Is Kairat 0-0 Celtic in the second leg of the CL qualifiers (aggregate 0-0, heading to extra time) a rival?
4 months ago
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I don't drive much and am terrible at parking when I do, but this is a good example of a market intervention that obviously works for consumers.
www.gov.uk/government/n...
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Government teams with parking giants to ensure drivers can use preferred apps in all car parks
British Parking Association will develop and run the 'national parking platform', providing drivers with a more flexible parking experience.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-teams-with-parking-giants-to-ensure-drivers-can-use-preferred-apps-in-all-car-parks
5 months ago
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Tom MacInnes
Kate Harrison
5 months ago
Come and join the best team going to do impactful work on welfare policy. This is a great opportunity to learn and develop research and influencing skills in a friendly and supportive organisation.
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Tom MacInnes
Municipal Dreams
5 months ago
Lauren Hemp, Norfolk hero and European champion. Congratulations Lionesses!
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Alex Belsham-Harrris
5 months ago
The challenge of energy affordability is very real, but rising block tariffs arenāt the answer. People on low incomes with poorly insulated homes or who need more energy for health reasons could see rising bills, while those with multiple homes or can install solar panels avoid paying a fair share
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Kit Yates
5 months ago
Lucy Bronze on how she decided to blast her penalty down the middle (and score). āStatistically itās risky for the goal keeper to stand still⦠so yeah, I love mathsā.
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Terrible penalties = great shootout
5 months ago
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Anne Pardoe
6 months ago
New paper from Citizens Advice on how to deliver tangible growth - which puts money in peopleās pockets - in consumer markets. TLDR: Consumer confidence is key & slashing hard won consumer protections without adequate safeguards isnāt the answer.
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How to deliver tangible growth in consumer markets
UK households need tangible economic growth which puts money in their pocket. Consumer confidence is critical - cutting consumer protection is not the answer
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publications/how-to-deliver-tangible-growth-in-consumer-markets/
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Great report and thread below on the links between health and work. Super topical...
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6 months ago
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That would be the wrong conclusion. This isnāt about sticking to plans, itās about not having good plans to begin with. This policy was terrible from day one. Any commentary should start from there.
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6 months ago
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Tom MacInnes
Kartik Raj
6 months ago
6/15 The best summary of the UCPIP Bill and what it means that I have seen in the past 24 hours is from
@lauralhutch.bsky.social
&
@tommacinnes.bsky.social
of
@citizensadvice.bsky.social
wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/these-are-no...
They call out the awful euphemism underpinning the entire exercise.
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These are not reforms
Written by Laura Hutchinson and Tom MacInnes
https://wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/these-are-not-reforms-1e1038915954
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Tom MacInnes
Luke Young
6 months ago
Unity across disability organisations and charities in calling for MPs to vote against the UC & PIP Bill today
www.ucpipbill.co.uk/wp-content/u...
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The vote is today. If MPs vote for the bill they are enshrining this short termist, arbitrary unfairness in law
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6 months ago
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Tom MacInnes
Clare Moriarty
6 months ago
If Parliament votes in favour of the UCPIP Bill it will enshrine an arbitrary cut in law. We welcome the Timms Review but once again the government is doing things in the wrong order. @CitizensAdvice is asking MPs to vote against these proposals and calling on government to step back and think again
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Tom MacInnes
Laura Hutchinson šø
6 months ago
Exempting current claimants from harmful cuts does not mean profound harm will not be inflicted as result of UCPIP bill. Citizens Advice is urging MPs to vote against the bill. These are not reforms. They are cuts to people who can least afford it.
wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/these-are-no...
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These are not reforms
Written by Laura Hutchinson and Tom MacInnes
https://wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/these-are-not-reforms-1e1038915954
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Tom MacInnes
Craig Berry
6 months ago
A long thread on why the concessions in and around the UCPIP Bill (ie the disability benefits cuts) are illusory, disingenuous and potentially makes things worse š§µ There are 5 big myths to bust -fifth is the most difficult to untangle, but the most significant in my view, so please do bear with š
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A genuinely elite achievement by Lee Carsley. And the team did what all fans of the menās seniors have always wanted- played like they do for their clubs. No fear, no weight of the shirt. And yeah the fearlessness of youth helps, but for decades the u21s were underachievers too
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6 months ago
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After all the rumours we now know what's in the amendment. From November next year, new claimants who need help to cut up food, dress, wash, or use the toilet would be denied the lifeline that PIP provides. For young disabled people and people who become disabled in the future, it is utterly bleak
6 months ago
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Tom MacInnes
Victoria Anns
6 months ago
How will the proposed disability benefit cuts impact disabled people? Today weāre sharing the story of one of the people weāve helped: Anita*. The cuts could mean she loses over Ā£8k per year (43% of her income)ā New blog out now:
medium.com/p/1ab8959922a1
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Anitaās story
How cuts to disability benefits could impact millions
https://medium.com/p/1ab8959922a1
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