iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

“Last year alone, we had to help more than 50,000 people challenge or appeal their PIP decision. "That’s why the Review must now bring forward bold recommendations. Fundamental reform is needed to make PIP fair and straightforward to access for those who depend on it.”

100

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

“PIP is a lifeline for many, covering extra costs that come with being disabled or having a long-term health condition - like care, disability aids, or accessible travel. But too often people struggle to get the support they’re entitled to.

100

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Dame Clare Moriarty, CEO @citizensadvice.bsky.social on Timms interim report: “The Interim Report from the Timms Review confirms what we see daily: a system that is not fit for purpose. Our advisers helped nearly 900 people a day with issues claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) last year.

161

Reposted by Luke Young

julia-rt.bsky.social @julia-rt.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Frozen housing costs support is putting unsustainable pressure on renters' budgets: 48% of private renters getting UC across the UK have cut back on essentials in the last 6 months The no. of private renters we helped w/ housing benefit, who were also referred to foodbanks is up 79% since 21/22

independent.co.uk

Less than 2% of rents affordable for benefit claimants, report warns

People are being forced into a ‘cycle of debt, poverty and homelessness’, a charity chief said

135

Reposted by Luke Young

Citizens Advice @citizensadvice.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Today we’re launching our #TurnTheTide campaign, calling on the government to take immediate action to tackle rising energy bills, rent, and debt. It’s no longer a one-off ‘crisis’, but an everyday reality for millions of people. Something has to change. ➡️ bit.ly/4eWFL1M

0810

Reposted by Luke Young

Citizens Advice @citizensadvice.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

It’s time for the government to #TurnTheTide on the biggest drains on people’s budgets - energy, housing and debt. A problem this big needs bold solutions, but progress can be made during this Parliament. Read more ⤵️ medium.com/citizens-advice/its-time…

033

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Work update: It’s great to be back at Citizens Advice as Head of Policy, leading our UK work across welfare and living standards - alongside our devolved advocacy work in Wales. I’m grateful to colleagues who stepped in during my secondment. It’s good to be back! @citizensadvice.bsky.social

040

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

I’m really looking forward to joining Shelter Cymru and colleagues across Wales at the People & Homes Conference in October Join us if you can

041

Reposted by Luke Young

Shelter Cymru @sheltercymru.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

How do voters in Wales view housing and how do they prioritise it as an issue for the Senedd election next year? @lukeyoung.bsky.social, Head of Policy with @citizensadvice.bsky.social, will be one of the panelists discussing this at our People & Homes Conference. Register now: bit.ly/44hthxK

Luke Young, Head of Policy with Citizens Advice

021

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

Making full use of the cinema air conditioning I’ve seen Superman and Jurassic World. Superman is fantastic. Both the lead and Lex Luthor. Excellent film 🦸🏻‍♂️ The dinosaurs were fun too 🦕 🦖

030

Reposted by Luke Young

Disability Wales @disabilitywales.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

📢Joint statement. We stand united with organisations working to tackle poverty and advance the rights and inclusion of disabled people in rejecting harmful narratives that pit communities against each other. These are not competing issues.

Statement

We, Disability Wales, Bevan Foundation, The Trussell Trust, Citizens Advice and All Wales Forum, as organisations working to tackle poverty and advance the rights and inclusion of disabled people, categorically reject recent media reports suggesting that changes to disability welfare proposals could threaten the removal of the two-child benefit cap.

These claims imply that vital support for disabled people comes at the expense of families in poverty, setting groups against each other. We firmly reject this notion. Disabled people are disproportionately affected by poverty; these issues are interconnected, not competing. Disabled families across Wales already live in poverty, including children. It is unacceptable to pit one vulnerable group against another.

Neither disabled people nor those living in poverty should be forced into a false choice about whose support is more deserving. We have long called for policies that lift all people out of hardship, and alternative, fairer approaches to funding social security.

We stand together in solidarity to demand a coproduced, compassionate and inclusive approach to policy-making that upholds the rights and dignity of all.

033

Reposted by Luke Young

Ed Pemberton @epemberton.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

1) New report alert 📚! Written by@dremilylynn.bsky.social and myself, it looks at the relationship between health and work. It is the first report from our wider project on health inequalities, funded by @healthfoundation.bsky.social‬. 🔗 www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...

176

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

Does every shop really need a dj? Who’s asking for this

010

Reposted by Luke Young

david-s.bsky.social @david-s.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

bsky.app/profile/davi...

011

Reposted by Luke Young

Citizens Advice @citizensadvice.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

We’re asking all MPs to vote against the UCPIP Bill today. The government’s own impact assessment says the cuts will plunge 150,000 people into poverty by the end of this Parliament. This is likely an underestimate. MPs must protect their disabled constituents and vote against this Bill.

14229

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Unity across disability organisations and charities in calling for MPs to vote against the UC & PIP Bill today www.ucpipbill.co.uk/wp-content/u...

162

Reposted by Luke Young

Clare Moriarty @claremoriarty.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

If the UCPIP Bill becomes law it will cut PIP for over 400k disabled people & UC for over 700k people who are disabled or have a long-term health condition by 2030. Government’s own impact assessment says the cuts will plunge 150k people into poverty by the end of this Parliament

049

Reposted by Luke Young

Clare Moriarty @claremoriarty.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

If Parliament votes in favour of the UCPIP Bill it will enshrine an arbitrary cut in law. We welcome the Timms Review but once again the government is doing things in the wrong order. @CitizensAdvice is asking MPs to vote against these proposals and calling on government to step back and think again

068

Reposted by Luke Young

Laura Hutchinson 🌸 @lauralhutch.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

Exempting current claimants from harmful cuts does not mean profound harm will not be inflicted as result of UCPIP bill. Citizens Advice is urging MPs to vote against the bill. These are not reforms. They are cuts to people who can least afford it. wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/these-are-no...

wearecitizensadvice.org.uk

These are not reforms

Written by Laura Hutchinson and Tom MacInnes

055

Reposted by Luke Young

Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

🚨 MP Debbie Abrahams said that one of the offers the government is making today is not what rebel negotiators thought they had negotiated. Says there has been "row back" and tells ITV that "We're not there yet."

63917

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

A busy, productive time at Welsh Labour Conference. Thanks to all who came to Trussell’s event on poverty & food banks. This weekend was a good opportunity to reflect on the shared position of many in Llandudno that the UCPIP Bill should not be voted through at Second Reading.

040

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

I have deep concerns that once again for millennials & younger the social contract & safety net frays more - particularly without familial wealth. Education = success? Buy a home? Kids have a better life than you? Decent retirement? None of these are secure any more. And now govt adding welfare

071

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Just spoke to @timesradio with a bit of myth busting on PIP and response to rebel deal. Yes, big concessions from govt for current claimants but this is a political fix that creates unequal policy. All it takes is illness or life event for any of us to need PIP. People will have less.

1167

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

PIP helps people with the additional costs and helps many disabled people stay in work. Cutting PIP is cutting employment support

062

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Good to speak to Sky News on the impact changes to disability benefits will have, and why the Govt should pause and reassess - failing that MPs should vote for the Reasoned Amendment and against the current Bill on Tuesday

140

Reposted by Luke Young

Natasha Davies @daviesna2.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Welcome to see a growing number of MPs publicly opposing the planned PiP and UC cuts. If those on the fence need any more evidence of what the right thing to do is this should focus the mind. 👇 Sincerely hope the UK Government rethink these plans.

031

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

NEW: A coalition of anti-poverty, advice and disability organisations are asking MPs to vote against the UC & PIP Bill, which contains the biggest cuts to social security in a decade. A briefing from orgs inc Citizens Advice, Scope, Mind, JRF and Trussell available here www.ucpipbill.co.uk

ucpipbill.co.uk

Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill -

On Tuesday 1st July, MPs will be asked to vote on the UC & PIP Bill, which contains the biggest cuts to social security in a decade. This briefing from ten organisations including Scope, Citizens Advi...

065

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

I’m thinking about my trans friends who face horrific prejudice and the LGBT+ people who are not yet free. We’re not going back in the closet. We’re marching forward together. Happy Pride

130

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

There are threats to the progress made for LGBT+ people all around us.The promise that things will always get better has been broken. But as with every broken promise, we live and learn and grow and fight back.

110

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

Happy #PrideCymru to all who celebrate and protest 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Looking back on the shy(ish), panicked, closeted kid I used to be, I can hardly recognise myself. And that’s the point, right? That we all have the freedom to be ourselves without fear or being told we are not welcome.

290

Reposted by Luke Young

Victoria Lee (née Anns) @victoria-j-lee.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Today, the government laid its Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill before parliament. But what's actually in the bill and what happens next? New blog out now: wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/why-were-ask...

wearecitizensadvice.org.uk

Why we’re asking MPs to vote against the bill to cut disability benefits

Today, the government laid its Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill before parliament. It details plans to cut billions…

21616

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

Important to meet MPs, Peers & support staff in Westminster this week. Across meetings and drop-ins we hammered home the urgent need for welfare measures in the government's child poverty strategy, and the damaging impact disability benefit cuts will have on the children and families we support

010

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

“Of the many severe critiques of the government’s Pathways to Work plan for these disability cuts, one of the most authoritative is the Citizens Advice response, Pathways to Poverty.” Pleased to see our policy work on disability cuts is cutting through www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

theguardian.com

Free school meals for more children in England is a positive thing, but there’s a catch | Polly Toynbee

The government’s announcement won’t mean much if disability and Pip cuts push more families into poverty, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

021

Reposted by Luke Young

Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

All spending review allocations next week will of course drive consequentials for Welsh Government - in same process that saw difficult tax choices made last autumn drive the extra £1.5bn for Wales.

021

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

Thanks to @annkempster.com for pointing out Torsten’s message here We will be asking Welsh Government what they plan to do with the money - and encouraging extending FSM to secondary pupils where parents in receipt of UC

010

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

Oh good, we don’t need to ask then! Thank you I hadn’t spotted this

100

Reposted by Luke Young

Ann Kempster @annkempster.com · 05/06/2025

Torsten says there will be money for Wales: bsky.app/profile/tors...

111

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

Welcome news of expansion of Free School Meals to children of people on UC in England. We will ask whether this education spending means Barnettised money for Wales, where all primary pupils already have FSM. The big game changer in child poverty across both nations remains the two child limit

110

Reposted by Luke Young

Becca Stacey @beccastacey.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

Excellent new report from @maddyirose.bsky.social @scollerton.bsky.social @victoria-anns.bsky.social A must-read analysis on why disability benefit cuts are arbitrary, driven by savings costs rather than improving outcomes, and will cause hardship in ways the government has not yet grasped

042

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

Good to join BBC Radio Wales this morning as part of a joint charities call to lift half a million children out of poverty. Ahead of the Spending Review, the UK Government should make an unambiguous commitment to scrap the two child benefit limit

020

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

Our evidence says that disabled people and their children will be pushed into poverty, and in turn, health conditions could worsen. Our advisers say these cuts are unlikely to improve employment prospects for the people they help, and fail to address the real barriers disabled people face in work.

001

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

MPs will be voting in June on legislation to cut disability benefits with very limited information from the UK government on what the impact of those cuts will be. Citizens Advice has published analysis of what these changes means for the people we support www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...

citizensadvice.org.uk

Pathways to Poverty: How planned cuts to disability benefits will impact the people we support

123

Reposted by Luke Young

Maddy Rose @maddyirose.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

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 (🧵)

citizensadvice.org.uk

Pathways to Poverty: How planned cuts to disability benefits will impact the people we support

24035

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

Bad practice led to people on precariously low income pushed into debt and disconnection. I’m glad to see this action to compensate and put things right www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Thousands to get payouts over forced prepayment meter fitting

More than £70m is being paid to customers who were forced to switch to prepaying for energy.

000

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

“Good research can and should contribute to a healthy dialogue between the government and the electorate. It is never wrong to find out what voters think. But deciding policies is another matter.” open.substack.com/pub/kellnerp...

open.substack.com

A pollster warns: beware of the polls

Labour’s ministers have been led astray by the data they rely on. Time to change their ways

000

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Clare Moriarty, the chief executive at Citizens Advice, said: “The need to tackle child poverty is urgent and the prime minister and chancellor should not let a point of process excuse them from taking decisions now.” www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

theguardian.com

No 10 delays child poverty strategy with tens of thousands more facing hardship

Exclusive: Flagship policy put back until at least autumn amid fears cost of removing two-child benefit cap will outweigh political benefit

092

Luke Young @lukeyoung.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Today’s speech has done nothing to allay fears or suggest the UK government has listened to concerns on cuts to disability benefits Our Chief Exec is quoted here: www.bbc.com/news/article...

bbc.com

I will not resile from difficult welfare decisions, says Kendall

The work and pensions secretary says welfare changes are "never easy and rarely popular".

011