Ignoring the ~*extremely telegraph*~ title, this is an excellent expose of the culture in the debt collection world, basically just harass whoever you can in the hopes they'll settle a bill. A totally productive and useful industry. Glad it exists.

~finally~

Buses are the most used form of public transport in England, but ridership has fallen in recent years. New laws promise a turnaround, with cities like Liverpool following Manchester’s lead. This week we explore if we are going to see a bus renaissance: neweconomybrief.net/the-digest/a...

Phenomenal work from Rachael Walker and Better Policy lifting the lid on a part of the British policy landscape that regularly evades scrutiny. 🧵 betterpolicy.co.uk/council-tax-...

More and more, insecurity and lack of capacity in the system is picked up by household debt. This is the slowly growing privatisation of our social security net - you can't rely on the government to support you through rough patches, the market steps in (and profits) www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Big news today: the government is reforming the council tax debt system. For 4.4 million people in debt, this is genuinely going to make a difference. I'm absolutely buzzing about this after spending the last couple of years campaigning on this. www.gov.uk/government/n...

It's a bit of a myth that rents are constantly increasing faster than earnings or overall inflation - on average, they're not. So what *is* the problem of unaffordability in the private rented sector? And what does this mean for how we go about fixing it? Our take 🧵⬇️

The dodgy second hand car salesman comes to the digital age. What stage of capitalism is it where the competition is not between firm efficiencies, but just who can rip you off in the least obvious way? bankofenglandinsights.substack.com/p/this-time-...

Some of this is definitely explained by more people accessing DROs since the removal of the fee. But also households are clearly struggling - this is a longer trend & the rise in IVAs again is particularly concerning. bmmagazine.co.uk/in-business/...

VICTORY! Government to open up the Land Registry - bringing to an end a thousand years of secrecy shrouding who owns England. I’ve been campaigning for this for ten years: the new Land Use Framework, published later today, makes it government policy. 1/ www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Yeah looks like big news! Anything that addresses the UK's uniquely centralised taxation system is cause for celebration. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

People are forced into debt because of our regressive council tax system - and then being harassed by bailiffs! Local elections are coming up so I've demanded my councillors pledge to #BanTheBailiffs. Write to your councillors: act.debtjustice.org.uk/contact-your...

Maybe it's just because ✨I work on it ✨ but the centrality of debt to everyday life is increasingly apparent, esp its role as a privatised security net. The state won't provide sufficient wages, welfare, or protections; so you're forced to rely on debt instead. www.theguardian.com/money/2026/m...

New research from Arnaud Natal and Isabelle Guérin estimate at least 33.3% of the world’s population (over 2.59 billion people) regularly rely on borrowing to make ends meet. As they say - indebtedness is not marginal now but a structural part of modern capitalism. hal.science/hal-05547460...

Every time someone talks about how many under 25s are claiming incapacity benefit because they're lazy, this @pfrc-uob.bsky.social graphs needs to beamed directly into their eyes

CTS schemes maybe not the most exciting topic, but: - Accounts for ~5% of income for poorest tenth - The most underclaimed benefit in the country Aligning with UC is good, but fundamentally just another sticking plaster. Scrap CT, bring in a proportional property tax or land value tax.

Over 1,000 lives have already been lost since the US and Israel’s attack on #Iran. Alongside immense human suffering, the war is already having huge economic consequences that extend far beyond the region. A 🧵 on the impacts, and what could happen to countries in debt if the situation continues

85% reported a negative financial impact, such as going without essentials. 48% experienced a negative impact on their credit record. That survivors of domestic abuse in particular are skipping meals rather than damage their credit file is so perverse. www.stepchange.org/policy-and-r...

The number of older people living in water poverty could rise from 750,000 to almost a million by 2029/30. We need a national water social tariff to protect people on low incomes from soaring utility bills. Read more about our campaign in @bigissue.com www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

You privatise the natural monopoly; private companies underinvest, pollute, make billions in profit; bills increase above-inflation during a cost of living crisis; people can't afford their bills; you send in the bailiffs to harass them. Great work guys. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

We've got a new campaign out today ahead of the local elections: act.debtjustice.org.uk/contact-your...

Across England and Wales, too many older people are struggling to afford their water bills. We're calling for a national social tariff for water in England and Wales to fix this unfair system. Sign our petition: campaigns.independentage.org/page/187255/...

People are being forced into debt because of our regressive council tax system and then being harassed by bailiffs. With local elections happening this spring, lets tell our local councillors to help bring down council tax debt and end bailiff use -> tinyurl.com/7rmcehrk

We've got a new campaign out today ahead of the local elections: act.debtjustice.org.uk/contact-your...

Reform UK have watered down their plans to “challenge every single tenet” of economic policy. So what does Reform’s economic platform look like now? This week we digest what we know so far – and what happens when rhetoric meets the realities of governing: www.neweconomybrief.net/the-digest/r...

Aside from everything else, why would you scrap a tourist tax? Local authorities are so hard up, so why take away one of their only cash-raising measures? And surely, of all voters, Reform's would be pro making tourists contribute...

One of the most unpopular prime ministers ever, Labour's base totally split and decimated, being pushed into third by the Greens, multiple high profile u-turns despite a massive majority. But sure Morgan McSweeney is "one of the best political strategists in the world". Bonkers stuff.

This is a great write up of an underreported story. (a) it's crazy that a minister responded "that's life" to a council in financial straits; (b) it's crazier still that £3m of extra funding will apparently fund so little care because the system is entirely run in private interests.

UK financial crime fines falling from £570m to £120m. Reeves intervening on car finance compensation. Trump pardoning financial criminals. Under-regulated private credit falling apart. I guess we're just openly letting rich & powerful people do whatever they like these days...

📈Wholesale gas prices are rising again as international tensions shake global markets, now reaching levels higher than at any point in the past three years. For now, households are protected by the current price cap. But that protection only delays the impact, it doesn’t remove the risk. [1/3]

Interesting how little support the mansion tax gets from councils in LGIUs 2026 finances report compared to multi-year settlements and sorting SEND deficits. Fundamentally doesn't bring enough new funding in, or solve the regressivity of council tax - a wealth tax done wrong.

If you (like me) need a distraction from the Gorton & Denton by-election, very little hits like a 1,000+ word deep dive into rail renationalisation.

More than half of the UK's train operating companies are now back in public hands, with the rest due to follow by the end of 2027. How is Labour's grand plan for renationalisation going? This week's New Economy Brief takes a look. www.neweconomybrief.net/the-digest/great-british-railways

As one of those grads £50k+ in debt, I'm glad it's finally part of the national debate - but campaigners and politicians need to be way more ambitious. Not just lower repayment rates, but mass write off. Even the US is doing more on this than we are: www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/what...

Glad to see this getting more attention - a brutal tax that desperately needs binning. Can't believe the SNP have gone this long without sorting it out - last years consultation was an insult. Great to see @jrf-uk.bsky.social piling the pressure on. www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politic...

It has been a busy few weeks for ACORN groups and branches across the country, including a massive win from ACORN Preston! (🧵)

Proud to be members of this important campaign. No one should be getting into debt just to put food on the table, or to pay for essential bills. We demand: 🔥Better wages 🔥Essentials are affordable for everyone 🔥More taxes on the super wealthy Read more: www.costoflivingaction.org.uk

Whether you’re up for the school run, taking Mum to a doctors appointment or helping a neighbour with their shopping, we all want to care and be cared for. But in the economy we have millions who care are struggling to survive, left to worry about how to care for someone and look after themselves..

On the International Day of Care and Support, this week’s New Economy Brief explores what the Carer's Allowance scandal tells us about how our economy and society undervalue care: neweconomybrief.net/the-digest/w...

This week's New Economy Brief looks at the crisis in local government funding - its roots, its consequences and possible solutions: neweconomybrief.net/the-digest/c...

I work a shorter week (shoutout @debtjustice.bsky.social) and it's rad. I get better quality work done in my 4 days, and feel much better for having 3 guaranteed days off each week. Here's hoping this is the start of a new norm across the country. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

🧵 Our Policy and Campaigns Manager @tbymrry.bsky.social is in The Times today arguing that debt write-off is essential for tackling the council tax crisis gripping the UK. 🔗 www.thetimes.com/business-mon...

We're back for the second day at #FfD4. Fans are used to bypass the ban on visible messaging but security is onto us and blocking fans at the entrance. Here Tess from @debtjustice with a nice #DebtKills fan, very handy in this heat #FfD4People #freedomofspeech

Great to see @mancitycouncil.bsky.social leading the way on council tax debt - kind, empathetic policymaking that costs little but changes lives. Especially proud after our work together to end bailiff use for those on council tax support. 👏 🔗 www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater...

Tomorrow is UN #FFD4 summit in Seville, we joined 20+ orgs in central London to say: #CancelDebtChooseHope 54 countries in debt crisis yet rich countries are BLOCKING solutions No one should have to play Jenga with their economy - choosing between public services or debt payments. #SystemChangeNow

I don't tweet much anymore, but new council tax arrears numbers out this morning are a reason to break a good habit. Huge 11% increase in amount of council tax debt across Britain, standing now at £8.3bn. An increase of 11% since last year, and up 79% over the last 5 years.

It's #SmallCharityWeek! Anything you donate to us this week WILL BE MATCHED, in other words - DOUBLED! We're raising funds for our #BanTheBailiffs campaign. Councils are sending in bailiffs despite there being no evidence they increase collection rates. www.debtjustice.org.uk/biggive

Excellent coverage from ‪@mstaronline.bsky.social‬ here, using our data, on the rises to spending review's inbuilt council tax rises. This is only going to exacerbate already out of control debt & a cruel collection system: morningstaronline.co.uk/article/fast...

📢 New analysis of cuts 📢 We estimate unpaid carers are at risk of losing between £1.2bn – £1.7bn in income as a direct result of changes to PIP eligibility announced this week. The green paper fails to fully engage with the scale of its devastation with much of this on top of £5bn announced 🧵