Everyones keen for a bit of rent control.. (via YouGov)

🏘️ ‘High rents and rising mortgage costs are hitting families hard' Around 4 in 10 renters are in poverty once housing costs are taken into account, Lead Analyst @jelliott94.bsky.social explains.

A new way to explore UK Poverty data ⬇️ Poverty is deepening. Developing solutions to tackle this problem starts with clear, accessible evidence. To make our data more accessible we’ve published all charts, maps and tables from our UK Poverty 2026 in a new, interactive dashboard.

Poverty is deepening. 🔎 Our #UKPoverty2026 report was launched this morning. People in very deep poverty now make up the biggest group of people in poverty, at 6.8 million people. This is unacceptable for the fifth richest country in the world, and it has consequences.

📅 Save the date! On Thursday 29th Jan, we'll be hosting a webinar to discuss the findings of our UK Poverty 2026 report. We'll share insight and discussion about our report that will set out the depth and breadth of poverty in the UK. Don't miss out, sign up now: https://bit.ly/459R16V

New English Housing Survey data shows a big increase in mortgage holders and private renters reporting difficulty in affording housing costs since 2019-20. High interest rates and rents continuing to exert a lot of pain on families, and continued LHA freeze isn't helping either.

New English Housing Survey data! Interesting tenure trends figures; the growth of the private rented sector has stalled since 2016, though claims of an 'exodus' seem greatly exaggerated. Increasing numbers now paying their own mortgage instead of their landlords - good🏡

Children are bearing the brunt of poverty in Northern Ireland. Too many families face unthinkable choices between feeding their children or keeping their homes warm. 18 months out from the next Assembly election, our Poverty in NI report looks at the action that's needed 🔽

The new Welsh IMD shows persistent disadvantage across Wales. While there has been some minor adjustments to the methodology, the overall picture is similar to that of the 2019 release.

> Home purchased for £4k in 1970, now worth £4m > That's £3.945m more than if it had just increased with inflation > Her house has effectively gained £72k in value every year in today's prices > Her house earned around double what the average UK earner did each year

These figures are bleak - and nothing at all in the budget yesterday to address them. Instead Local Housing Allowance remains frozen.

New homelessness figures today show a continued upwards trajectory in the numbers of children and households living in temporary accommodation, reaching new record highs. Yesterday the OBR reported cost of TA to local authorities increased 20% *a year* between 2022-23 and 2024-25.

Chancellor said lifting 2-child limit means "Biggest reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since records began." Estimated 400k reduction would be, but modelling is always uncertain. What is certain is that removing the 2 Child Limit is pivotal to the fall.

Today the OBR finally published employment impacts of Govt’s (remaining) disability benefit cuts, which weren’t ready in the spring. Confirms @jrf-uk.bsky.social analysis at the time that these huge cuts to disabled people’s incomes come with relatively few expected to move into work. 🧵1/3

Every child, no matter their background, deserves to have a good start in life. Ethnic minority children were disproportionately impacted by the two child limit which widens ethnic disparities in child poverty rates. Scrapping this cruel policy to lift 450000 children out of poverty is a huge win!

Reeves responding to a heckle against taxing the rich more to reduce child poverty: "I think if you've got a house worth over £5m you can probably afford it" 🔥🔥🔥

💼 With less than 24 hours to go until the Budget, we're thinking about the options available to the Chancellor. Hear from our Chief Economist @chrisbelfield.bsky.social on three key policies that will make a lasting impact on reducing poverty. 🔽

A child poverty strategy with the 2-child limit in place would *not* be a credible child poverty strategy. *All* of the growth in child poverty since the 2011/12 low point is for children in scope of this policy.

1/ 📉 Real earnings growth in the UK has slowed sharply and the hit is falling hardest on lower earners. A quick thread on what the latest Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) tells us 👇

Rents have increased by a fifth in recent years since Local Housing Housing allowance was frozen, up £210 a month!! The strain of this freeze on private renters is immense; in April around 40% of private renters in receipt of LHA said they didn't have enough to cover rent.

Calling housing academics, researchers and economists - we've put out a tender for research on private landlord profits; how substantial are they, how are they distributed, from rent vs. capital etc. Apply at the link below! Budget up to £40k including vat. Please reshare!!

Calling housing academics, researchers and economists - we've put out a tender for research on private landlord profits; how substantial are they, how are they distributed, from rent vs. capital etc. Apply at the link below! Budget up to £40k including vat. Please reshare!!

New report: Taxing landlords more is good, actually. Since 2016, tax reforms helped slash the growth of the private rented sector and boosted first-time buyers—without hurting existing tenants. A big housing story hiding in plain sight? ⬇️

ONS have published new private rented affordability analysis for 2024. Ratios of rents to incomes dipped in 2022/23 as incomes climbed faster than rents. Rents have been catching up so affordability has worsened again and seems likely it will continue to worsen through 2025...

We’re hiring a Media Manager 📢 Can you identify compelling news stories that resonate with the mainstream media and political debates? Do you thrive in shaping strategy and working with colleagues to turn policy ideas into media successes? Apply: jrf.octo-firstclass.co.uk/candidates/c....

Ahead of tomorrow’s Monetary Policy Report, look at how real earnings have stagnated since September. They’re up just 0.3% between September 2024 and the latest May 2025 data, just a fifth of the growth over the same period in 2023-24. (1/5)

💰 How much public wealth do you think was given away for free via Right to Buy?  1bn? 10bn? 100bn?  Try 200 BILLION pounds.  🧵 Here's how Britain’s most infamous housing policy became its biggest housing disaster — and near the largest privatisation in British history.

Govt dropped cuts to PIP, but today's Committee report highlights MPs' concerns that many disabled people will be pushed into poverty by remaining cuts to Universal Credit's health element. In evidence to the inquiry I warned of the hardship this will cause. 1/5 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

New job alert 📢 We're hiring a Senior Policy Advisor for our Scotland office. If you believe as passionately as we do that we can deliver a fairer Scotland free from poverty then this job could be for you. 🔽 1/3

There are now twice as many children living in temporary accommodation as when Labour were last in Government. Arresting this escalating crisis needs to be a key priority for Government.

New English Housing Survey analysis out today, some findings ⬇️ 'Vulnerable' families, those receiving a disability benefit or other means-tested benefits, were much more likely to be living in poorer quality and damp homes.

Some interesting trends in private rental inflation stats.. Rental growth is currently highest in areas where rents have typically been much lower - e.g. in parts of the North East of England (9.7% growth, joint highest rate for the region), and seaside areas.

Much of the Government's intention for cutting PIP and UC is to motivate people to find a job But cutting social security can't 'incentivise' people into jobs that don't exist New @jrf-uk.bsky.social analysis shows there are simply too few jobs for the Government's argument to hold

LHA is an easy target for politicians and has never recovered from the Osborne nuking in the 2010s. Deliberately cutting this support, and then failing to uplift it has been a hallmark of policy failure within housing and welfare.

Todays rental price statistics show the rate at which rents in the private rented sector have been increasing in recent years is out of control. Since Jan2020 rents have shot up by £300 a month, up 31%, over 2.5x the rate of growth in the preceding 5 years (12% growth)

New stats show over 1 in 20 households in England contain a 'concealed household', additional adults (i.e. adult children) would would prefer to be rent or buy but cannot afford to do so. 1.5 million households - HUGE! These tend to be concentrated in higher income households..

If you want your great grand children to have the option of living in social housing, get your social housing application in today.. New NHF analysis shows social housing is simply not an option for families in across many local authorities, with impossibly long waits. ⬇️

More private renters are now in poverty than social renters. 4.8 million private renters are in poverty, up almost 300,000 on the previous year. Of these, almost 2 million are only in poverty when we factor in housing costs – around 40% of those in poverty.

All ethnic minority groups in the UK continue to face persistent poverty with no signs of improvement from last year. 📊 New DWP figures show people in Bangladeshi households are still 3x more likely to be in poverty compared to white households, and Pakistani households are 2.5x more likely.

New poverty rate figures show the West Midlands, London and the North West had the highest child poverty rates with over a third of children in poverty. In Scotland (where things are being done differently) the child poverty rate is joint lowest for the UK at 23%.

Last week the government proposed cuts to disability and long-term sickness benefits. These cuts will leave some disabled people significantly worse off. 📢 By 2029/30, someone that loses PIP daily living and LCWRA will be over £800 per month worse off 1/4

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall's speech today laid out plans to cut disability and sickness benefits by billions. ❌ No truly moral choice would leave disabled people without support designed to allow them to lead a dignified life, or facing hardship. 1/4

Yesterday, a Government press release claimed the number of people “considered too sick to work” had "quadrupled" since the pandemic (a "383% rise"). This is incorrect. In fact, it’s not even close. It's more like 40%. This thread explains why 🧵1/7

The devastating new homelessness data brought to mind the two charts below www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/society/hous...

Inflation is up by 3%, but private rents are up by 8.7% across the UK and 11%(!!!) in London. Across GB, it means paying ~£100 more per month on average since Jan 24, or ~£200 more per month since Jan 23. In London, £220 more per month since Jan 24, or ~£400(!) more per month since Jan 23.

Our 'Ask Me Anything' session on Reddit is now live! www.reddit.com/r/ukpolitics...

Why do ethnic minorities in the UK live in households that spend so much more income on housing than White British adults? Turns out the answer is complex. Our latest report, released today, dives into the root causes. Let’s explore the key insights👇🏾