New vlog 👇@TrussellTrust research out today: lays bare shocking truth about the crisis of hunger & hardship across the UK, and the utter failure of Universal Credit to fulfil its most basic duty.
Key findings: 🧵 1. Hunger & hardship are out of control.
😲73% of people on UC are going without essentials
😲48% ran out of food & couldn't afford more
😲1/5 had to use a food bank

OK, thoughts about pensioner poverty & triple lock:
1. Pensioners overall have higher living standards, lower poverty & much lower destitution, deep poverty and food bank use than working age people. BUT a significant minority face severe hardship & that number set to grow. 1/11

https://twitter.com/alysdenby/status/1777606794325434601

2. One of UK’s biggest successes has been massive reduction in pensioner poverty: 29% in 1998 to 13% in 2012. (Shows what we can do if we really try!).
3. But now trend reversing: pensioner poverty risen to 18%. Set to worsen. @jrf_uk destitution research found sharp...2/11

Appalled by news today of a pilot programme with GPs 'prescribing' heating for patients with health conditions likely to be made worse by cold and damp. Further medicalising poverty and loading problems onto the NHS because of the failure of other parts of the system. 1/7 Living in a warm, healthy home should be standard, expected by all, not 'prescribed' for a handful. Of course the impacts of cold & damp are especially serious for people with lung conditions. But they're also terrible for anyone's physical & mental health. 2/7

To see how much social attitudes have changed on 30 years, play 1980s scruples. Pro tip: sort the questions before playing with kids! Some of the dilemmas presented as ‘reasonable people may disagree’ are properly shocking* ⬇️

OK, here's a very initial take on the #QueensSpeech:
1. Was never a vehicle for immediate cost of living interventions. If government wants to help before the Autumn Budget they can, but Queen's Speech is about legislation which takes time to pass and take effect. 1/n 2. So today could have been:
- Announce help earlier? Nope.
- Legislate on crisis drivers & increase resilience?
Verdict:
3. Housing =standout: 'full fat' Renters' Reform Bill, improves rights & security in private rented sector + quite punchy Social Housing Regulation Bill. 2/6

Right. We have two different cost of living/energy crises happening, needing different solutions and conflating them is Not Helping.
Crisis 1: people on low incomes facing serious hardship, overwhelming charity support, in dire straits now & set to get worse. 1/4 Crisis 2: People on middle incomes feeling the pinch now & facing massive fuel bills this Autumn. Big hit to living standards. Difficult for families & politically dangerous but not in same league as crisis 1.
Solutions:
Crisis 1: Needs immediate boost to benefits. 2/4

Ahead of tomorrow's Spring Statement, a round up of what we know about the cost of living crisis and the Chancellor's options, from various organisations' analysis 🧵1/12 4.4 million people already having to use credit to keep up with essential bills. (@StepChange). 4.7 million are food insecure - can't afford to eat properly. (@Food_Foundation). 2/12

What do Universal Credit changes mean for different families? Here's the first slab of @jrf_uk analysis, hot off the press.
Reminder of big changes:
1. Taper rate (like tax rate) down from 63% to 55%.
2. Work allowance (amount you earn before taper kicks in) up by £500.🧵1/7 Starting with the biggest gainers:
Family A: Couple, 2 kids, 1 FT worker, 1 PT worker
- Gain £31 per week from UC changes
- Living costs rise by £24 (Energy cost + inflation + national insurance)
- Result: £7 a week better off. 2/7

Happy Budget & Spending Review Day! It's wonk Christmas and we're so excited! Here's what to look out for...🧵1/8 2 big questions:
1. Has the Chancellor done enough to help people on low incomes weather the cost of living storm?
2. Has he acted decisively to to divert the currents pulling people into poverty in the medium term? 2/8

Two stories this week shocked a lot of people. UK food insecurity stats showed 43% UC claimants unable to afford enough to eat. And a homeless boy was having to make a 170 mile round trip to school due to lack of housing. Great question from @tomneumark, answer in this thread.1/9 Q. Why is the solution to unaffordable housing for the government to build social homes, but the solution to food insecurity isn't to provide food?
A. I think it's because of the state of the underlying markets.
- Market for food & groceries basically functions pretty well. 2/9