A political candidate might knock on your door soon. Don’t waste the moment. Here's what to ask them 🔽

Today’s new and improved poverty statistics may have been revised down due to better benefit data, but it shows that over one if five children in Scotland are growing up in poverty. Better data gives a clearer picture, but this better data shows that poverty in Scotland remains unacceptably high.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation@jrf-uk.bsky.social · 5mo ago

📊 A big change to the way official poverty statistics are constructed comes into effect this year. Family Resources Survey responses and official government benefit records will now be linked for the first time. 📝 In this short explainer video, we take you through what the changes mean.

Poverty is deepening. 🔎 Our #UKPoverty2026 report was launched this morning. People in very deep poverty now make up the biggest group of people in poverty, at 6.8 million people. This is unacceptable for the fifth richest country in the world, and it has consequences.

Scotland Demands Better was the breath of solidarity and joy that was needed this weekend! Great to be there with my @jrf-uk.bsky.social colleagues, the End Poverty Scotland Group and our family and friends. Let's keep up the momentum!

📅 Happening tomorrow! Colleagues @cdbirt.bsky.social @carlaonion.bsky.social @anniemckenzie.bsky.social will join thousands to march across Edinburgh as part of the #ScotlandDemandsBetter rally. A life free from poverty is possible - and change happens when people stand together and demand it. 👇

The Poverty Alliance@povertyalliance.org · 10mo ago

📢1 day to go! What: #ScotlandDemandsBetter march & rally Where: Edinburgh, assemble at the Scottish Parliament from 10am and then march onto The Meadows Who: Everyone demanding a decent and dignified life free from poverty. Why: Because change happens when we stand together and demand it

Around 1 in 4 children in Scotland are living in poverty. Poverty remains far too high, and people are feeling overlooked and ignored by politicians. The next Scottish Parliament is an opportunity to build a better future for all children in Scotland. 🔽 1/4

On 6 Oct, we'll be launching our Poverty in Scotland report ⚙️ Building a Scotland where all children have the chance to flourish is an investment both in our children and our futures Join us for the latest data and our hopes for the next Scottish Parliament: events.zoom.us/ev/Amsdg9QQK...

🚨STOP THE BUS🚨 We have a new vacancy in JRF's Scotland Team. We're looking for a Senior Policy Adviser to join our brilliant team here. Passionately believe we can deliver a better Scotland free from poverty? Then it could be 🫵 Details 👇🕑 10/8. www.jrf.org.uk/careers

Careers

Do you want to help build a fairer future, free from poverty? Join us and use your skills to make a real difference.

jrf.org.uk

Shaymaa Abulebda, an influential writer & scholar from Gaza, should soon be starting a PhD at the University of Edinburgh [part of which is an internship at Comma]. Instead she lives in a tent in al-Mawasi displacement camp in the ruins of southern Gaza. www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...

The Prime Minister told senior MPs today he wants to reduce child poverty this parliament The most cost effective way to do that is to end the two child limit and take action on the benefit cap - actions that also target help to families in deep poverty. Read more ⬇️ www.jrf.org.uk/child-povert...

Three policies to reduce child poverty this parliament

This briefing sets out which children are at greatest risk of such severe and acute poverty, and what a child poverty strategy must include to address it.

jrf.org.uk

Actually around 50,000 people will be pulled into poverty by remaining cuts in Bill - based on Govt’s impact assessments. @jrf-uk.bsky.social previously showed how DWP sleight of hand underplayed true poverty impact – same applies to this latest publication. 🧵1/3 www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Welfare bill will now lift 50,000 out of poverty after U-turns, assessment finds

Revised bill passed after UK government rowed back on cuts will mean fewer rather than more people in relative poverty in 2030

theguardian.com

Govt admits remaining cuts will pull at least 150,000 people into poverty by 2029. But its new impact assessment is again misleading – it could be more like 250,000. (Same reason as why Govt’s previous poverty assessment understated the impact – see: bsky.app/profile/iain...) 2/7

Iain Porter@iainkporter.bsky.social · last yr.

DWP is using a sleight of hand in its disability benefit cuts impact assessment: Actual increase in poverty is closer to 400,000, not the 250,000 in the impact assessment. Quick thread explaining why. 🧵1/7

Today Govt confirmed changes it will make to planned cuts to disability benefits. But Govt will still ask MPs to vote for large, arbitrary cuts to disabled people’s incomes that will increase poverty. The Bill should be opposed. Here’s why. 1/7

Better homes. Better services. A thriving natural environment. Join the march for all of us. Edinburgh - 25 Oct. #WeDemandBetter scotland-demands-better.com

I want to see non-disabled people shouting about the disability benefit cuts. If you spoke out about trans rights, abortion rights, or migrant rights in recent weeks? Good on you! If you aren’t doing the same for disabled people, ask yourself why.

📢 Join our team! ⭐️ We're looking for an Impact & Learning Manager to help us better understand, evaluate, and amplify the impact of our work in Scotland. 📅 Closing date: 17 June Full details ⬇️ jobs.savethechildren.org.uk/jobs/vacancy...

240,000 children are in poverty in Scotland. Every one of them is a reason for all political parties to deliver a better Scotland. 📝 We have published a toolkit to ensure that each party's manifestos is up to the task of meeting the child poverty reduction targets: www.jrf.org.uk/child-povert....

All political parties agreed to the Scottish Child Poverty Reduction targets in 2017. 240,000 children in Scotland are in poverty. @jrf-uk.bsky.social have launched a toolkit to ensure that the manifestos of these political parties will meet these targets by the end of the next parliament.

The UK is among the worst nations in Europe for child poverty. In the UK, 11% of 15-year-olds reported they had skipped a meal in 2022 because there wasn't enough money to buy food. In the Netherlands and Finland, this number was 3%.

The government says its cuts to disability benefits are part of a “moral mission” to get more people working. But analysis shows fewer than 100,00 are expected to start work by the end of the parliament. Meanwhile around 3m will have disability & health related benefits cut. 1/4

Comment from our Principal Analyst @rebeccaflorisson.bsky.social on zero-hour contract data from the ONS ⬇️ “Today’s data indicates a marked increase in the use of zero-hour contracts in the last year. There are now 1.17 million zero-hour contract workers, the second highest level on record. (1/7)

My reaction on behalf of @jrf-uk.bsky.social, on today's labour market statistics and the Government's plans to cut disability benefits. The threat of widespread hardship among disabled people, unable to replace the incomes they lose out on through work, is even starker.

Whilst grown adults in Reform come after Send pupils as “victims”, here’s 16 year old Niamdh Braid winning her right to a British Sign Language interpreter at school. Guess who the real losers are? www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

‘The only thing we can’t do is hear’: the deaf pupil who beat Fife council in court

Niamdh Braid, 16, demanded her right to full education – and now hopes her success will inspire more deaf children to aim high

theguardian.com

As immigration dominates the headlines today, including disturbing comments made by those in political positions, such as the suggestion that people seeking safety ‘should be put in tents’… We have one message and one message only:

Around 80,000 children - the equivalent of all children 16 and under in Edinburgh - are living in very deep poverty. The next Scottish Government needs to radically change the game if they are to reach the 2030 child poverty reduction targets.

🧵 Exciting news – we’re now seeking expressions of interest for the Devolved Conversations part of our Safety Nets project!

We're hiring a Policy Adviser! You'll work across policy areas (work, care, housing and more) to generate ideas that address the challenges underpinning poverty in the UK. 📍 Hybrid (York/London) Salary: £37,546.60 (+ LDN weighting) 9 Months FTC Find out more and apply now: bit.ly/4jdaWGn

Can anyone recommend any good articles by social policy scholars/sociologists/social researchers about the term 'hard working families' & how it is mobilised by the state, politicians and advocacy groups?

Since the latest announcement of cuts to health related benefits: 📢 60% of the public think the Government is going in the wrong direction to tackle the cost of living crisis and hardship. This includes 41% of those who backed Labour in July. Find out more 🔽

Luke Tryl@luketryl.bsky.social · last yr.

New @moreincommonuk.bsky.social polling for @jrf-uk.bsky.social finds benefit cuts risk putting the Government on the wrong side of public opinion. 60% of the public now think the Government is going in the wrong direction, including 41% of those who backed Labour in July.

Our complaint re the growth in health benefits has been upheld: osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/corresponden...: "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."

Rob Kent-Smith to Peter Schofield: Increase in the number of people on Universal Credit

Dear Sir Peter We have received a number of complaints relating to a press release published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 13 March entitled ‘Almost two million people on Universal...

osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk

Peter Matejic@statspeter.bsky.social · last yr.

This is now being investigated by the Statistics Regulator, following three separate complaints, including from me. See issues log at osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/casework/.