Luke Young
@lukeyoung.bsky.social
Head of Policy, Citizens Advice. Leading teams across welfare, living standards, & devolved work in Wales. Former Chief SpAd. 🏳️🌈🏴
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.
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
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
independent.co.uk
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. ➡️ https://bit.ly/4eWFL1M
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 ⤵️ https://medium.com/citizens-advice/its-time-to-turn-the-tide-8a6c1ac2a82f
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
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
Shelter Cymru@sheltercymru.bsky.social · last yr.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
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
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 🦕 🦖
📢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.
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...
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.
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...
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
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
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...
These are not reforms
Written by Laura Hutchinson and Tom MacInnes
wearecitizensadvice.org.uk
🚨 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."
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.
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.
PIP helps people with the additional costs and helps many disabled people stay in work. Cutting PIP is cutting employment support
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
Overwhelming opposition to benefits cuts, Welsh ministers say www.bbc.com/news/article...
Welsh government expresses major concerns over benefit cuts
They warn disabled people fear planned welfare changes will leave them unable to make ends meet.
bbc.com
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.
Luke Young@lukeyoung.bsky.social · last yr.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
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
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...
ucpipbill.co.uk
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.
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...
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…
wearecitizensadvice.org.uk
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
“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...
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
theguardian.com
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.