Is welfare spending ''out of control''? It's estimated to be 11.1 per cent of GDP this financial year. That's just 1.1 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen by 0.9 per cent of GDP since 2012-13 ⤵️

𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐏𝐀 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 Excellence in social policy research and impact has been recognised by the 2026 Social Policy Association awards. The list of winners is available in the next posts. Full story here: social-policy.org.uk/awards/socia...

Social Policy Research and Impact Celebrated at 2026 SPA Awards - Social Policy Association

Excellence in social policy research and impact has been recognised by the 2026 Social Policy Association awards. The list of winners for each category and [...]

social-policy.org.uk

Some good news on regional equality: employment gaps have shrunk. Over the 2010s, the gap between low-employment (10th percentile) and high-employment (90th percentile) areas shrank by 3 percentage points. More👇 buff.ly/I7DTRZo

Starting #WISERD2026 with our #newresearcher session in collaboration with the Welsh Graduate School for the Social Sciences and the Learned Society of Wales. Thank you to the first of our keynote speakers, Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, for concluding remarks.

What happens when AI removes the tasks young people used to learn from? Yesterday our Director of Education, Josh Hillman, spoke to the Education Committee about how while AI may be making some entry-level work more productive, we need to pay attention to what young people could be losing.

Are you a family member, partner or spouse of someone who served in the UK Armed Forces? Have you interacted with MoD welfare services for veterans? Please give your views in our new survey: salfordshs.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

🚨Applications close this week🚨 We're recruiting for three exciting permanent roles within our Research and Policy team, at different levels of experience. Find our more and apply now ➡️ buff.ly/N4Xuj8b

🚨 We're hiring!🚨 📈 We're looking for a thoughtful and committed Principal Economist/Policy Analyst with a specific focus on economic growth and productivity.📈 Find out more ➡️ buff.ly/N4Xuj8b

Many young people are struggling to gain a foothold in the labour market. Among young people who are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET) 60% have never worked. Entering adulthood without work experience limits opportunities to build skills, confidence & earnings potential.

🚨We're hiring🚨 We're recruiting for three exciting permanent roles within our Research and Policy team, at different levels of experience. Find our more and apply now ➡️ buff.ly/N4Xuj8b

The Social Policy Association Employment Policy Group held a book panel event this week hosted by the Resolution Foundation and chaired by Nye Cominetti. The panel was composed of authors of several new books on employment and welfare policy in the UK and internationally.

What could plausibly explain some of the rise in the NEET rate since the pandemic? Employment has fallen in low-paying, youth-heavy sectors which saw relatively large labour cost increases last year. Read our latest report examining the UK's rising NEET rate➡️ buff.ly/gABGpwv

📣 Last chance to book 📣 This free event about the latest research on employment policy in Britiain and beyond is happening in London tomorrow! ⬇️

Social Policy Association@socialpolicyuk.bsky.social · 4mo ago

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝? SPA Employment Policy Group Resolution Foundation Office, London Wednesday, 29 April, 2:30pm-5pm Attendance free: register via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/work-and-w...

‘It’s a big loss’: what happens when a beautiful village loses its bus route?

‘It’s a big loss’: what happens when a beautiful village loses its bus route?

Mousehole in Cornwall once had a butcher, post office and general store. Now it doesn’t even have an ATM – and one of its crucial bus services has been cut. Can residents save this vital resource?

theguardian.com

Next Wednesday 29 April in London I'm discussing my new book on youth unemployment and devolution along with six other authors. The event is free, hosted at the Resolution Foundation and is organised by the SPA Employment Policy Group. Sign-up here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/work-and-w...

Work and welfare: employment policy in Britain and beyond

What's happening to employment policy in Britain and beyond?

eventbrite.co.uk

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝? SPA Employment Policy Group Resolution Foundation Office, London Wednesday, 29 April, 2:30pm-5pm Attendance free: register via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/work-and-w...

Work and welfare: employment policy in Britain and beyond

What's happening to employment policy in Britain and beyond?

eventbrite.co.uk

Meet our expert panel: @sionedps.bsky.social, Lecturer in Social Policy at @cusocsci.bsky.social, completes our panel who will discuss what the 4 nations can learn from each other after 27 years of different approaches to issues around child poverty in our webinar. acss.civiplus.net/civicrm/even...

Meet our expert panel: @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social, Professor in Social and Public Policy (Urban Studies & Social Policy) at @glasgow.ac.uk, will also share her insights into how the 4 UK nations have dealt with the policy challenges of child poverty. Register➡️ acss.civiplus.net/civicrm/even...

Meet our expert panel: Dr Jed Meers, Senior Lecturer at York Law School @york.ac.uk, will also be joining our expert panel to discuss different approaches to social security for parents with dependent children, asking what the four nations can learn from each other. acss.civiplus.net/civicrm/even...

Meet our expert panel: Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick, Senior Lecturer at @ulsteruni.bsky.social and the Social Justice Institute, will also be joining our webinar on 28 April which has been organised with the @safetynetujc.bsky.social funded by @nuffieldfoundation.org. ➡️ acss.civiplus.net/civicrm/even...

Meet our panel: @haylesben.bsky.social, Senior Lecturer in Social Policy & Co-Director of the Centre on Constitutional Change at Uni of Edinburgh, will be joining our webinar exploring how the 4 UK nations have dealt with the policy challenges of child poverty. ➡️ acss.civiplus.net/civicrm/even...

📣The Social Policy Association’s Opportunity Grants programme for Spring 2026 is now open for applications! 💷Grants <£1K and £5K available to suppport social policy events and initiatives. 📅Deadline: Monday, 4th May 2026. social-policy.org.uk/opportunity-...

The establishment of the Fair Work Agency is an important step towards better enforcement of employment rights. How can the Government ensure its success? ⤵️

Even as employment rights are becoming stronger, non-compliance with existing rights remains a concern. Hundreds of thousands of workers do not benefit from the basic rights they are owed. Read more about how the new Fair Work Agency can address this➡️ buff.ly/2cPqeAG

Creating the Fair Work Agency is a welcome milestone; but other enforcement challenges remain. There will be no change to the scale of financial penalties, which are currently too low to be an effective deterrent. In fact, almost half of minimum wage cases are self-corrected so incur no penalty.

Join the @spaemploysocsec.bsky.social for a Book Panel in London this month (29th April) at @resolutionfoundation.org In-person and free to attend, details and registration are here: social-policy.org.uk/events/event... It would be lovely to see you there.

Glad this is getting some real research behind it. Anecdotally I've noticed that outlets are a little better at adding 'in England' in print but remain awful in formats where it's harder to call them out. www.theguardian.com/media/2026/a...

Voters in Wales failed by inaccurate UK media reports on devolved issues, study finds

Reports on English policies seen in Wales as relating to whole of UK contribute to widespread confusion, researchers say

theguardian.com

⭐New webinar⭐ As part of the Campaign for Social Science’s 2026 series on devolution our expert panel will explore how the UK nations’ four governments have dealt with the policy challenges of child poverty: Register now➡️ lnkd.in/epKZeEKr

Delighted to be hosting the #FoundationalEconomy Alliance Cymru Annual Conference 2026 here in #sbarclspark today. Starting us off are Derek Walker @futuregencymru.bsky.social, Neil James from Deep End Cymru and Cleide Correia from Merthyr Cynon Foodbank discussing #foodinsecurity #MakeADifference

SPA Chair, Prof Ann Marie Gray is taking part in this event on how the four UK nations are approaching health policy:

Academy of Social Sciences@acadsocsciences.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Are you interested in how the 4 UK nations are approaching health policy? Join our webinar in association with @socialpolicyuk.bsky.social to hear from Will Hutton, @profellenstu.bsky.social, Prof Ann Marie Gray, Prof Katherine Checkland & Dr Lorelei Jones on this. acss.civiplus.net/civicrm/even...