Many thanks to @cjayanetti.bsky.social for their write-up of this piece in the @bigissue.com tinyurl.com/2rvs3n4t

Are out-of-work benefit claims at a record high? My new post open.substack.com/pub/inequali... , and also my take on More or Less this morning at www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

The cuts to UC health will create an unacceptable two-tier system, disadvantaging future claimants. Read more about this in Victoria's new report 👇

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.

Brilliant new briefing from Sarah and Julia offering some possible solutions to the fact that UC's monthly assessment periods just don't work for many claimants 👇

Great report from Jagna showing that UC incentives to work are often misguided and overly complex. Instead what we need is more investment in supporting people to find and stay in suitable work 👇

Brilliant in-depth report from Ed and Emily looking at health inequalities and work. Well worth a read!

The changes to the disability cuts bill don't go back enough - cutting UC Health would cause untold damage. Victoria's blog explains why we're calling on MPs to vote against it once again 👇

Anti poverty organisations all unanimously urging MPs to vote against the UCPIP Bill this afternoon, and calling on the government to carry out proper reviews and consultation before legislating. This is too important to vote through on an act of faith. www.ucpipbill.co.uk/wp-content/u...

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 🧵 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 🙂

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

I think everyone would agree that eligibility to disability benefits should be decided based on need. The government's concessions further erode this principle. The 4 point rule is arbitrary. Restricting UC health based on age is unfair. And creating a 2-tiered dis ben system is unjustifiable.

Changes to UCPIP bill are result of campaigners & disabled people speaking out about the profound harm the govt was about to inflict. However, the bill remains illogical & inherently unfair. The govt should pause & come back with meaningful reform if serious about “fixing the foundations”.

The government's concessions on disability benefits cuts are a good start but do nothing to help those who will need disability benefits in the future. Anyone can become disabled at any time and future claimants are no less deserving of support than existing claimants

But, if the disability cuts go ahead, we expect Anita to lose her PIP daily living entitlement. And as a knock on impact, also lose her UC health. Even with an uplift to UC standard allowance, she’ll lose £678 each month and be plunged into poverty.

Great blog from Victoria showing the stark reality of how the disability cuts would affect people

In parliament today to brief MPs on the need for them to vote against the disability benefits cuts bill. Interesting to hear from parliamentary staffers that it's constituents contacting them that is having the most impact. Please email your MP now, even if you have already! It's not too late

UC & PIP bill proposes the biggest cuts to disability benefits since OBR was created. It would: ✂️cut benefits for 3.2m disabled ppl 📈Push 300,000-400,000 into poverty, including 50,000 children 📈 Drive 440,000 into severe hardship New joint briefing: www.ucpipbill.co.uk

Ahead of a crucial vote on cuts to disability benefits, our new evidence casts doubt on whether jobs are even available for disabled people facing cuts 📢 The analysis found that the parts of the country among the hardest hit by the cuts have fewer job opportunities 1/3

Looking forward to speaking at this on Thursday, sharing @neweconomics.bsky.social analysis on the scale & impact of the planned cuts, what's been driving increased claims, & whether benefit cuts, tighter eligibility & increased conditionality are good ways to cut costs (spoiler alert: they're not)

(1/2) With a heavy heart, I have written to the Prime Minister to tender my resignation as a whip. Whilst I will continue to support the government in delivering the change the country so desperately needs, I cannot vote in favour of the proposed reforms to disability benefits.

The new welfare bill could cut billions from health & disability benefits, putting hundreds of thousands of disabled people at risk of poverty. Join @citizensadvice.bsky.social on 26 June to hear from a panel of experts and explore our data ⤵️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/citizens-a... #CADataInsights

The government has introduced legislation today to implement cuts to disability & health benefits There have been no substantial concessions on how the proposals were originally presented in the Green Paper Here is what we know about the impact these cuts will have... 🧵

Really handy explainer from Victoria on the new UC and PIP bill going through parliament and why we’re calling on MPs to vote against it 👇

As we await the legislation on welfare cuts... sign up to our event next week where we'll be dissecting the impact on disabled people 👇

It'll be two years, this Monday night. Time, at last, to write about Agnes.

V. positive Spending Review has confirmed multi-year funding for crisis support. Good to see move towards crisis support being a permanent part of welfare support, and away from the short-term Household Support Fund approach - But still some questions about how the new fund will work in practice

This paper owes a lot to Andrew's excellent work on this topic and was inspired by a conversation we had about jobcentres a number of months ago (because obviously that's what we talk about over lunch!)

Its time for change in Jobcentres, but how do we do it? My new paper proposes a vision for Jobcentre reform. The central idea is to introduce case workers, who would be service users’ main point of contact and offer ongoing pastoral and practical support 🧵 www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...

Important blog on benefits deductions from Julia. She shows that the Fair Repayment Rate is a great first step, but more is needed to help reduce the harms still caused by deductions 👇

The Pathways to Work Green Paper sets out plans to cut billions from health and disability benefits. Instead of getting people into work, these cuts will push hundreds of thousands into poverty. Our new report looks at the impact of cuts to PIP, UC health & scrapping the WCA (🧵)

Brilliant report from @maddyirose.bsky.social, @victoria-anns.bsky.social and @scollerton.bsky.social just published, stating in no uncertain terms that the government needs to reverse the planned disability cuts www.citizensadvice.org.uk/wales/policy...

Oh man, I spent 30 minutes reading this this morning and I don't know if I've ever read something so full of love

Work won’t cut it New briefing for @citizensadvice.bsky.social by me and @beccastacey.bsky.social We look at whether people losing PIP and UC income will be better off *if* they move into employment, if reforms were implemented today Here's a quick 🧵 but spoiler alert: probably not

A lovely response to the recent appalling immigration rhetoric. Thank goodness for the strangers on this island. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

1️⃣ we're in the 7th cycle of the Household Support Fund 2️⃣ its future is still uncertain 3️⃣ and we still see record demand for crisis support ... so what should come next? New Citizens Advice paper on the future of crisis support + how to realise an approach that’s more than a sticking plaster🩹👇

Alarming research reveals the scale of the danger posed to pedestrians and cyclists - especially children - by "supersize" SUV cars www.standard.co.uk/news/transpo...

As well as cutting health & disability benefits, the government plans to introduce conditionality for many people currently exempt from it I explained to the Work & Pensions Select Committee yesterday that NEF's work shows this won't be an effective way to engage this group with employment support

The DWP have responded to my FOI request. Their figures indicate that 87% of clamants currently receiving PIP daily living at the standard rate, and 13% of claimants receiving enhanced rate, are likely to lose their entitlement if the score 4 changes go ahead. www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/pers...

New blog series alert - how austerity alters disabled people's lives + futures. -Open to all: researchers, activitists, lived experts. -Your blog will be received with care + consideration. -You'll be supported to publication on our website & we will promote it on social media and our news list. ✊️🩷

I’ve written about how the government's cuts agenda conflicts with its employment agenda Reducing the financial support that enables many to access employment will only create further barriers to work for disabled people wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/why-efforts-...

Where will the cuts to sickness & disability benefits hit hardest? New @jrf-uk.bsky.social constituency analysis shows the % of working age people receiving these benefits in England & Wales. Some MP inboxes are likely to be brimming, as concern about these plans is widespread

Disability benefit cuts will cause widespread hardship, no questions asked Quick thread 🧵 on the impact of cuts on why the govt needs to properly consult - or see the full post at: medium.com/@craig.berry...

DWP is using a sleight of hand in its disability benefit cuts impact assessment: Actual increase in poverty is closer to 400,000, not the 250,000 in the impact assessment. Quick thread explaining why. 🧵1/7

The OBR has not yet been able to forecast any employment gain from the cuts/changes to incapacity & disability benefits MPs are being asked to support around £6.5bn of cuts & increased conditionality for ill & disabled people without any clear assessment of what it will achieve

The more we look at cuts to disability benefits and how they will affect the people we support at Citizens Advice, the clearer the impact on children in, and on the edge of poverty, becomes. @emerdemeza.bsky.social discusses here: inews.co.uk/news/how-ben... @citizensadvice.bsky.social

What does the Pathways to Work green paper actually mean, who might be affected, how much could they lose, what are the good and worrying bits of planned changes to support & assessments? A long 🧵 ...

The phrase 'since austerity' is so unhelpful here. This is continued austerity. It never stopped. Budgets remain pitifully low across government and are now set to be cut further. Point me to when austerity ended, please. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

I keep seeing the press describe benefits cuts as a 'crackdown'. Other crackdowns we hear about usually reference crime or anti-social behaviour. What does that imply about benefit claimants? Claiming the benefits you're entitled to isn't a crime - these are cuts, not a crackdown

The reality of claiming PIP: a 🧵 1) To claim PIP you have to describe in excruciating detail all the ways you cannot function. This means that you are forced to think in very detailed terms exactly how disabled you are, which often has a devastating effect on the mental health of the applicant 1/?