We’ve got a report out today where we summarize KC’s advice that suggests the Scottish Government is failing to meet the legal requirements of the Child Poverty Scotland Act. The potential prize of doing so is 100,000 fewer children in poverty.

There does not need to be consensus to reform council tax, there won’t be. Because reforming it has to include removing the bias towards better off households. That’s what needs to change. No reform will deliver no one who pays more. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

MSPs need to work together to reform council tax - SNP

Representatives from six Scottish political parties agree that the council tax needs to be reformed, but how exactly is a contentious issue.

bbc.co.uk

🔎 People in Wales will rightly be raising their expectations of what can be achieved with devolved powers. All politicians hoping to be elected in May must meet the moment and deliver much needed change to people's lives. Read the Idea piece by @cdbirt.bsky.social: www.jrf.org.uk/social-secur...

Next Welsh Government must drive down poverty in Wales

Now is the time for politicians in Wales to be bold, and take significant action, to ease hardship and increase economic security.

jrf.org.uk

🚨CRUCIAL POLLING OUT TODAY🚨 We show today that economic insecurity is heavily linked to political disaffection in Scotland. Importantly, though, our poll of 3,000 people shows that politicians can change that if they do key things to make people's lives more secure. 🧵

In case you missed it, my oped on the challenge to anyone wanting to be First Minister on tackling child poverty. Maybe some speeches today will shed some light on their ambitions. But with people cheesed off with politics, action is needed. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2571953...

Chris Birt: Ending the two-child limit is progress but poverty remains too high

Scrapping the two-child limit is welcome, but Scotland remains far off meeting child poverty targets, says Joseph Rowntree Foundation's Chris Birt.

heraldscotland.com

Going to the SNP Annual National Conference this weekend? We're hosting a fringe event on Saturday (tomorrow!) at 5pm❗ Can child poverty be eradicated? 🗣️ @profnicolamcewen.bsky.social @kezdugdale.bsky.social @cdbirt.bsky.social, @sa4dunfermline.bsky.social, and @ginadavidson.bsky.social. 1/3

"What's the modern Scotland that we believe in?" @cdbirt.bsky.social closing our conference. Thanks so much to everyone who joined us in Edinburgh today. Looking forward to working together to built support for a better Scotland 🌟

Good to be in the Scotsman today with Peter Kelly @povertyalliance.org on how Scotland Demands Better can be the alternative to the hate we've seen spill out elsewhere. Full article available in the paper and online: www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

Come along tomorrow evening to this public meeting hear from @cdbirt.bsky.social and me about why we are supporting the ‘Scotland Demands Better’ campaign.

Chris Birt@cdbirt.bsky.social · 11mo ago

On 25th October people are taking to the streets of Edinburgh for Scotland Demands Better. A chance for us to use our voice to demand better from our politicians. A Scotland where everyone can flourish. Come hear about why tomorrow night with me, @satwatr.bsky.social and others 👇👇

On 25th October people are taking to the streets of Edinburgh for Scotland Demands Better. A chance for us to use our voice to demand better from our politicians. A Scotland where everyone can flourish. Come hear about why tomorrow night with me, @satwatr.bsky.social and others 👇👇

If you can spare a wee bit my wife and pal Liz are doing the Great North Run raising funds for Breast Cancer Now in memory of my Mum and Christina McKelvie and all the other women taken too young. Well done Liz and El, ha’way the lasses! ajbellgreatnorthrun2025.enthuse.com/pf/liz-lloyd...

Ellen and Liz do the Great North Run

We are running the Great North Run to raise money for the research and support provided by Breast Cancer Now. We are running in memory of Audrey Birt (El’s mother-in-law and Liz’s friend), Christina M

ajbellgreatnorthrun2025.enthuse.com

🚨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

⏰⏰You may have already seen this but we're looking for a partner to work with us to consider our approach to movement building and grassroots organising in Scotland. More info in the link below - closing date for applications 16 July. www.jrf.org.uk/funding

Funding

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation funds and works in partnership with other organisations to unlock the UK from poverty

jrf.org.uk

A pleasure to join Scotcast earlier to talk about a Minimum Income Guarantee. Quite the contrast while the UKG were attacking the living standards of disabled people. We need big ideas at the moment, not rehashed cuts. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Scotcast - A minimum income for all - BBC Sounds

Should billions more be spent to guarantee everyone a minimum income?

bbc.co.uk

Sir Geoff Palmer is one of those people that when they pass they leave a massive hole in our society. He brought such wisdom, passion and drive for justice into Scotland. A Scottish legend. Thoughts with his family and friends. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Sir Geoff Palmer, Scotland's first black professor, dies aged 85

Sir Geoff moved to the UK from Jamaica as a teenager and became known as both an academic and a human rights advocate.

bbc.co.uk

A couple of weeks ago @satwatr.bsky.social and I wrote the piece below for the Scotsman on how politicians in Scotland can meet the moment we're in. With their permission have popped it on my Medium for all to see. Have a shifty - see what you think. medium.com/@cdbirt/we-c...

It's no bad thing that the UKG are looking for ways to re-instate the £300 per year that some pensioners have lost from Winter Fuel Payments. But how, then, can they defend the £4,500 per year loss ON AVERAGE, through PIP alone, they want to take away from disabled people? 🤨🤨

@cdbirt.bsky.social & I wrote a piece on the urgency to tackle child poverty. ‘We no longer live in a country where a tweak to the status quo will meet people’s expectations. We can no longer accept that the only way for our people to prosper is to make small changes …’

Chris Birt@cdbirt.bsky.social · last yr.

In today’s Scotsman @satwatr.bsky.social and I on why defending the status quo is no longer a serviceable political strategy. So politicians must take on poverty and deliver what people want. Decent homes, decent pay and services when they need them. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

In today’s Scotsman @satwatr.bsky.social and I on why defending the status quo is no longer a serviceable political strategy. So politicians must take on poverty and deliver what people want. Decent homes, decent pay and services when they need them. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

SNP and Labour need to take poverty more seriously – or malign actors will profit

There are those seeking to exploiting poverty to drive a wedge between communities

scotsman.com

📢Head on over to Carla's Corner 🛣️for a bit of a deeper dive on the Poverty and Inequality statistics published today. What we've called "a thundering wake up call" to the Scottish Government and all the parties in the Scottish Parliament in the race to meet the child poverty reduction targets.

Carla Cebula@carlaonion.bsky.social · 2y ago

As I am new here and it's a new year I thought I would do a round up of what I got up to at @jrf-uk.bsky.social in 2024. It was a busy year and we have even more planned in Scotland for 2025, keep your eyes peeled 👀

Currently hammering refresh on the SG's poverty stats website... Worth noting, although probably obvious, that the Chancellor's cuts yesterday won't be reflected in these annual stats which cover the period up to April 2024.

Crucial analysis from over on Mordor from my colleague @iainkporter.bsky.social Welfare cuts actually increase poverty by closer to 400,000 but DWP sleight of hand attempting to mask it.

The Chancellor said today that she would not do anything to put household finances in danger Yet the government’s own assessment shows their cuts to health related benefits risk pushing 250,000 people into poverty, including 50,000 children 📢 Their assessment also found... 1/3

Confirmation of chunky cuts to SG and NI Executive budgets because of PIP cuts. Big choices for those Ministers as to whether to copy the cruel choices of UKG.

📢Not just a big week with the Chancellor's statement on Wednesday... 📝Thursday will tell us whether or not the Scottish Government have met the Scottish Parliament's interim Child Poverty Reduction targets. Signs not great, catch up work needed in the next Parliament.

The lowest income households will be £900 per year worse off than they are today, a 6% fall in their disposable income. The poorest third are disproportionately affected and could see their overall incomes fall twice as fast compared with the middle and the top.

NEW: Analysis from @jrf-uk.bsky.social ahead of the Chancellor’s spring statement this week shows families worse off by £1400 by 2030. This would mean missing the PM’s living standards milestone and could be the first government since 1955 to see a fall in living standards across a parliament.

💜 Happy #SingleParentsDay ! 📣 Today, we’re joining 16 orgs across the UK & Ireland to launch the #SingleParentCommunity campaign! Together, we’re amplifying voices, raising awareness of support & building a community for single parents. 💜 Follow, share & get involved! 🔗

Have always loved @aiannucci.bsky.social but added a wee bit more after this episode of Strong Message Here. People spouting mince about things they know nothing about on disability benefits cuts would do well to give it a listen. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Strong Message Here - Britain Isn't Working - BBC Sounds

Armando and Helen look at how we talk about those on welfare, and how it's changed.

bbc.co.uk

Big picture today is Government chose to cut unprecedented £5bn of income from disabled people at highest risk of hardship. This drive for cost savings undermines any positive changes contained in the disability benefits green paper. Here are some other big problems:🧵1/11