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Hilary Burkitt

@hilaryburkitt.bsky.social
2.1K followers 1.9K following 402 posts

Housing, poverty, social policy, cats | Housing policy at Independent Age

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Reposted by Hilary Burkitt
Independent Age @independentage.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
We're at #LDConf with our GIANT tap to call for fairer water support Your postcode shouldn't decide if you can afford your water bills. A single water social tariff in England & Wales would lift older people out of poverty Sign the #TappedOut petition: campaigns.independentage.org/page/187255/...
A giant silver tap sits on the Brighton promenade on a bright sunny day. "Fairer water bills so no one is #TappedOut" is written across the front while water bills emerge from the spout. A sign next to it has more information on the #TappedOut campaign. The sea can be seen behind along with the old Brighton pier.
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
I once went a lecture all about moquette and it was fascinating. 🤓 Great choice of specialist subject!
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
I was listening to a travel podcast for a few minutes before realising it was entirely AI generated, based on a blog…which itself is AI generated. How does this end if not with the quality of content getting worse and worse as AI slop endlessly regurgitates itself?
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
They really need a version of that alarm signal that doesn’t sound like we immediately need to dive under the table
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Whether this documentary itself is good or bad the provocative marketing has an impact because it reaches many people who won't bother to watch it. They know full well people aren't sat there thinking "well that poses some interesting questions, I will form no view until I watch the programme".
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Reposted by Hilary Burkitt
Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
The problem of "cost shunting" is again brilliantly illustrated with a homelessness case study. Of course, problems of working across departments is a perennial issue in government but I've seldom seen it put so well
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
And this is part of a public service remit how exactly?
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
I can tell you exactly what politicised me - working on the social care white paper in 2009-10 when the cross-party talks on funding were torpedoed, and having to walk past this poster every day on the way to the office. I'm still furious, I expect Andy Burnham is too.
Picture from a billboard advert from the Conservative party with a grey tombstone with a red rose on top carved with R.I.P OFF - next to it wording saying "Now Gordon wants £20,000 when you die - Don't vote for Labour's new death tax"
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
I genuinely think that Burnham's ability to talk like a normal human is either going to be the doing or undoing of him
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Instructions on packaging are printed in impossibly small font sizes
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Yes it is absurd to think rough sleeping isn’t hugely publicly salient, right across the political spectrum
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Significantly relieving rough sleeping numbers (“no second night out” style) should be achievable. The real challenges are upstream, tackling the factors that drive people into rough sleeping in the first place
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Reposted by Hilary Burkitt
Jess McCabe @jessmccabe.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Healey was also involved in the SHOUT movement (social housing under threat) back in the coalition days. My former colleague Nick Duxbury did a brilliant profile of Healey back then which really detailed his pro social housing stance www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/if-t...
insidehousing.co.uk
If the hat fits: John Healey's housing mission
Former Labour housing minister John Healey is on a mission to put housing at the top of the electoral agenda - and don his hard hat and reprise a cabinet housing role. Nick Duxbury meets him
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
John Healey on council housing...
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Reposted by Hilary Burkitt
Brian Robson @brianrobson.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
If you want to do something big on council/social housing, you could do a lot worse than John Healey as your Chancellor.
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
If this is the end of lectern guy then Burnham has made a critical error of judgement
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Football question from my son: why is stoppage time added to the end of 90mins rather than pausing the clock during the game? (I have no idea)
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Is it kitten-o-clock? I think it must be kitten-o-clock.
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
I have a lot of affection for Rail magazine after it became my toddler’s magazine of choice (ahead of the more obvious options like CBeebies). Now have high hopes this signals @jim.londoncentric.media levels of future success
Small child with head buried in a copy of Rail magazine
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Reposted by Hilary Burkitt
Alex Collinson @alexcollinson.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Seems like a good place to post this as bsky must have the highest density of policy officers of any social media platform: TUC looking for a policy lead for employment rights and labour markets. A nice team. Key experience needed in screenshot. www.tuc.org.uk/jobs/policy-...
What key experience, skills, knowledge and understanding do you need?
 You will need:
Experience in evidence-based policy development on issues related to employment rights and/or labour markets
Ability in writing in a compelling and accessible style whether it is a blog for the TUC’s website or a detailed response to a government consultation
Confident skills in evaluating and communicating a range of data sources from legal material to quantitative data
If this is you, then take a look at our job description and person specification.
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Delighted to work with Crisis and other orgs across the housing and homelessness world on this report demonstrating the urgent need to unfreeze LHA www.crisis.org.uk/media/00pnzl...
crisis.org.uk
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Reposted by Hilary Burkitt
Generation Rent @generationrent.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Renters - we want to hear from you! Temperatures are smashing through 30 degrees again - are you able to keep your home bearable, and what are you doing to deal with the heat? Tell us in the replies!
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Another outstanding investigation from @jim.londoncentric.media making a compelling case for proper statutory regulation of letting agents
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Very stressful dream last night: Andy Burnham appointed me Chancellor of the Exchequer. Most of dream was trying to get Ed Miliband to stop sulking and offer me some advice
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Honestly I’ve not known such pure joyful schadenfreude since Four Seasons Total Landscaping
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Prominently on the front cover. It should not be this difficult!
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
To this day I have no idea what they were thinking going about this the way they went about it
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Actually did a double-take, I swear this is a picture of me and my university boyfriend.
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Does anyone’s evening need kittens?
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Reposted by Hilary Burkitt
Independent Age @independentage.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Just 50% of eligible older people in England receive Council Tax Reduction. The UK Govt must do more to work with local authorities and ensure older people on low incomes receive the support they need. www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/mon…
dailyrecord.co.uk
Pensioners urged to check for Council Tax help worth up to £2,392 a year
New research suggests only half of pensioners entitled to Council Tax Reduction are claiming the support, despite it potentially cutting an average annual bill from £2,392 to £0.
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
When the @independentage.bsky.social office bake sale is this good, the only strategy is to sample a bit of everything!
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Makes one wonder how many other “mystery” fire safety test results might be out there 🤔
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Oh no not Giles! I once sat opposite Anthony Head on a suburban train at the height of Buffy fame and was absolutely starstruck. It was like bumping into Tom Cruise on the 18:52 to East Croydon. RIP
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Can I recommend having this under your desk to enhance your working day?
A fluffy ginger cat with 5 small tortoiseshell kittens
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Excellent point made here that it’s politically all too easy to continue the LHA freeze because it’s never announced, it’s buried in the detail of the budget. Which is why we need to keep on banging on about it!
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
I am so absolutely done with these adverts with AI-generated “experts” telling me how my life will be sorted out with a miracle app
AI generated middle-aged man in a suit
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Evan Davis just now on WATO on fairness between generations: "Stop thinking about 'this generation vs that generation' - there are winners and losers *within* each generation which swamp the differences between them" - yes, working with older people in financial hardship, I agree!
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
I realise it's now nearly 10 years after the fire, and the wait must be unbearable for survivors and bereaved. But this sounds positive in the breadth and number of charges being considered. Let's hope the time has been used to gather evidence needed for what will inevitably be complex cases
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Reposted by Hilary Burkitt
Morgan Vine @morganvine.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
If you're over State Pension age, on a low income and live with a partner who is below #StatePension age, the rules say you can't receive the social securuty entitlements meant for #pensioners. Today we joined with 12 other organisations to call for this unfair rule to be reversed #costofliving
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Reposted by Hilary Burkitt
Charlie Radclyffe @charlierad.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Would you like to share your thoughts on the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)? Disability Together have a short survey to gather evidence. #PIP #Timms #review #disability forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/Respon...
forms.cloud.microsoft
Microsoft Forms
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Reposted by Hilary Burkitt
Beth Stratford @bethstratford.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Finally, we have data to show vast majority of landlords earn supernormal returns: even with high interest rates, 63% outperform a 60:40 equity-gilt portfolio & 71% beat the broader real estate sector. Proud to have co-authored this with @autonomy-institute.bsky.social autonomy.work/portfolio/th...
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
The more I look at this the less I understand it - “circle size represents response rate” - WHAT?
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
What on earth is this chart format?
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Between this and the guy who unwittingly stole a Faberge egg from outside a pub, it seems London thieves just can't catch a break.
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Someone at TBI needs a black thinking hat
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Reposted by Hilary Burkitt
The Pub-Liking Universal Friend @johnb78.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Hahahaha they actually found the lady from George Orwell
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
🥳
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Everything about this is 10/10, the content we need right now.
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
I feel like one of my followers should know the answer to this…
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Hilary Burkitt @hilaryburkitt.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
So much this. I can't even remember whether I met Giles at some point, but his influence was such a constant that it doesn't seem that relevant - the blogs, the tweets, the kind correspondence and patience with queries have been so important to me all through my career in housing.
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