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With the Bank Rate held at 4.75%, it adds to the combo of poor economic indicators we've seen this week that everyone, but especially low-income families have been confronted with: -rising inflation -soaring rents -more expensive water bills to come Not a great Christmas present

All eyes on BoE's cut to the bank rate, but really concerning that energy and water bills are set to push inflation up to 3.7% in Q3 this year. With over 7 million low-income households already going without essentials, this is v bad news for putting pounds in peoples pockets.

Some news! After 5+ years of my dream job Joseph Rowntree Foundation, next week is my last. I think it's rare to really love your job. But having the best colleagues & getting to work on such important issues everyday has meant I have. Time to learn new things at the BBC which will be v different!

Slashing benefits to meet an arbitrary fiscal target would be unethical, short sighted and illogical. ❌ 2 in 5 people receiving disability benefits already experience hardship – meaning they are either unable to afford enough food, heat their home or pay household bills. 1/3

Thanks to The Guardian for covering Joseph Rowntree Foundation analysis (see theguardian.com/society/2025/m…). As I say, “A government that came to office pledging to end the moral scar of food bank use clearly should not be taking steps that could leave disabled people at greater risk of needing to use one.”

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

A potential triple whammy here for some young private renters.. If they lose PIP entitlement too, due to tightened eligibility, they'll lose entitlement to a 1-bedroom LHA rate and return to shared accommodation rate. In Liverpool, for example, the difference is £150/month ⬇️

Last week PiP published this brilliant paper, looking at how families on Universal Credit experience income volatility. Would really encourage a read. I found it particularly striking how a lot of the effectiveness of UC at smoothing incomes is wiped out by sanctions & deductions

Our complaint re the growth in health benefits has been upheld: osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/correspondence…: "The statement that the number of people claiming disability elements of Universal Credit has increased by 383% presents an entirely misleading picture to the public.”

Economic uncertainty update: The thing about veering wildly between policy positions, favouring a new maverick advisor each week, and using contradictory justifications at every turn, is that even if one particular pivot is in the direction of sanity, chaos is the constant.

"The balance here is off the scale" The government's proposed cuts to disability benefits will deepen poverty and hardship, and push many further from work. Iain Porter senior policy adviser at Joseph Rowntree Foundation gives evidence to Work & Pensions Committee on the cuts