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Ben Baumberg Geiger

@benbgeiger.bsky.social

Social policy researcher (though sometimes pretends to be a philosopher), Prof co-leading WelfareExperiences project and kcl.ac.uk/csmh work & welfare strand. Was at @BenBaumberg at the other place.

159 Posts1354 Follower361 Folgt
The Bear@bearlypolitics.co.uk · 2w ago

This could very well be the most important story in politics for the last decade and a half. Please read and share this equally harrowing and illuminating account by @carolecadwalla.bsky.social of just how dark the money in politics pit really goes. Absolutely mind blowing.

Farage, the money launderer and me: a decade of denial

The Reform leader’s relationship with the UK media has enabled him to operate with impunity for years. This past fortnight, that impunity finally appeared to be coming to an end. Carole Cadwalladr, wh...

thenerve.news

Dan Neidle@danneidle.bsky.social · last mo.

What if Andy Burnham could raise £15bn – without a tax rise? There's one catch. He'd need to solve the UK’s biggest and least-discussed tax problem. Almost half of all small business corporation tax isn't being paid - and nobody knows why. Thread:

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Ruth Curtice@ruthcurtice.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Since defence spending’s recent peak in the mid-80s non-pensioner welfare has grown from around 4.8.% of GDP to 5.1% now. Importantly, non-pensioner welfare is now about the level of the mid-90s, below its global financial crisis peak, but has seen some rise from its level immediately pre-pandemic.

chart showing that ince defence spending’s recent peak in the mid-80s, non-pensioner welfare has grown from around 4.8.% of GDP to 5.1% now. Importantly, non-pensioner welfare is now about the level of the mid-90s, below its GFC peak, but has seen some rise from its level immediately pre-pandemic.
Ruth Curtice@ruthcurtice.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The chart focused on working-age welfare. But it contained two mistakes. First, it focused only on benefits delivered by DWP but that means it appears that spending rises as the administration of some benefits changed from HMRC to DWP (with the switch from tax credits to UC this matters a lot).

Ruth Curtice@ruthcurtice.bsky.social · 2mo ago

As debates rage about where to get the money for higher defence spending, it’s important we have a clear picture of how we spent the peace dividend while it was around. Thread 🧵⤵️

Paul Bivand@paulbivand.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Looking at the same data over the whole period we have data, new job starts have fallen a lot since covid reopening, and are now well below pre-covid patterns. Job leavers (including to new jobs) have been much more stable. To split out whether job starters or leavers are job changers needs LFS. 2/

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Susannah Walker@susannahwalker.bsky.social · 11mo ago

In response to my rant yesterday, I was asked how we can make better parks and other public places for teenage girls? What do they want? I have answers to this, so now a positive 🧵. Starting in Sweden, where this was co-designed by teenage girls.

Frizon shelter - a curved space with seats like swings and lovely coloured perspex in the roof and a view of the city of Umeå at dusk. Two teenage girls sit in one of the swing seats having a chat.
Emma Monk@monkemma.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Well, that Express headline was always going to raise a few eyebrows!😳 Starmer is responsible for embracing polygamy to appease Muslims, and so he's increasing their benefits?? That's the implication. After all, this "started in April", right? Wrong! 🧵1/25

Express Headline: DWP increases benefits for husbands with 2 or more wives - Started in April
Ben Baumberg Geiger@benbgeiger.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Health Studies User Conference 2026 run by @ukdataservice.bsky.social is coming up on 25th June (London/hybrid), including a paper by Christoph Henking & me on how mental distress, self-identified mental illness, and activity limitations have changed over time... [#1 of 2]

Health Studies User Conference 2026 — UK Data Service

A comprehensive resource funded by the ESRC to support researchers, teachers and policymakers who depend on high-quality social and economic data.

ukdataservice.ac.uk

Resolution Foundation@resolutionfoundation.org · 4mo ago

This year’s Universal Credit uplift means that the basic rate of unemployment benefits will go up by more than inflation for the first time since 1983. But the real-terms value of unemployment benefit is still 5% lower than in 2010-11. By contrast, State Pension rose by 20% over the same period.

Chart showing weekly real-terms value of various benefits: UK