Sign in

julia-rt.bsky.social

@julia-rt.bsky.social
160 followers 119 following 29 posts

Welfare policy research @citizensadvice.bsky.social All views my own

PostsRepliesMedia
julia-rt.bsky.social @julia-rt.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Then there are those falling deeper into debt as incomes can't stretch to cover essential outgoings, even after debt advice. The UC private renters we help with debt are more likely to be in a negative budget than not. Their budget deficits are also 4x deeper than in 19/20
110
julia-rt.bsky.social @julia-rt.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Then there are many plugging the growing gap between rents and frozen support by cutting back and going without. On our frontline, this looks like more people relying on foodbanks. Last year, we helped 79% more private renters with UC housing element issues access food banks than in 21/22
110
julia-rt.bsky.social @julia-rt.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Support is falling short across Britain. 1.7m households receive UC housing support + are private renters. In 3 in 4 local authorities, most of these households get support that doesn’t cover their rent. public.flourish.studio/visualisatio...
Heat map of Great Britain showing percentage of Universal Credit claimants, receiving UC housing costs support, whose Local Housing Allowance rate is below their actual rent, by local authority. In 3 in 4 local authorities, the majority of these UC households have a shortfall. Darker red indicates a higher percentage affected. Source: DWP Statxplore data from November 2025, accessed April 2026.
100
julia-rt.bsky.social @julia-rt.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Through our frontline services, we see the 5 week wait lead to hardship all the time. For Alara*, UC deductions made it difficult to provide for her daughter + were a barrier to work. Like Alara*, 69% of those we helped w/ deductions caused by the 5WW this year also needed a foodbank referral.
100
julia-rt.bsky.social @julia-rt.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
A 15% deduction cap still means still means losing more income than you can afford. Couples could still see £1100+ a year deducted from their UC. Plus, 94% of UC households w/ deductions are repaying some govt debt. Really addressing deductions means fixing the causes of these govt debts.
011
julia-rt.bsky.social @julia-rt.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Demand for crisis support is resilient: in 2024, we advised over 83,000 people in England on local social welfare, 95% more than in 2022. The many households who’ve turned to the HSF over the years will still need support after HSF 7.
131