Rod Hick
@rodhick.bsky.social
Professor of Social Policy at Cardiff University. Poverty | social security | work | housing www.rodhick.com
New paper out in Social Policy & Administration (w/ @tbiegert.bsky.social): “Why Comparative Social Policy Research Needs Better Theory and Measurement”. We wrote it for the journal’s 60th anniversary. It’s a personal reflection on how we study the effects of social policy, and how to do better. 🧵
Teaching today so only heard the first 30mins of the budget speech. Switched off soon after the £100 payment to most households was announced and expected this to become the fifth - maybe the tenth! - most important measure. Incredible to now see it reported as the budget's central announcement.
Re the debate on the cliff edge where tax-free childcare is lost at £100k leading to people keeping their income below this amount, it’s obvious that such cliff edges are bad as it skews decisions about work – no-one should be worse off if their earnings increase. /1 🧵
Time, Welfare and Society is now published!! We talk a lot about money in welfare debates — but far less about time. Yet time is the resource people lose first: waiting, repeating, proving, recovering. This book asks: What if welfare began with time instead? www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/tim...
iron rule of British politics is even if a guy who dresses as a bin becomes prime minister he will have been to Oxbridge
Oxford Clarion@oxfordclarion.bsky.social · 4mo agoAn Oxford classics graduate has won cross-party endorsements in the upcoming Clacton by-election. Count Binface, who studied at Corpus Christi, was described as “maybe the people[’s candidate]” by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, while defence secretary Dan Jarvis said “good luck to him”.
Bad news, since the UK wants to understand the European Union much less than it wants to rejoin it. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
If the UK wants to rejoin the European Union, it first needs to understand it | Timothy Garton Ash
A full return will require a marathon of democratic persuasion, on the continent as much as in Britain. For one side holds most of the cards, says Guardian columnist Timothy Garton Ash
theguardian.com
Some thoughts from me on Plaid Cymru's Welsh Child Payment pilot.
Institute of Welsh Affairs@iwa-wales.bsky.social · 6mo agoWith the dust beginning to settle on May 7th's momentous election, Professor Rod Hick considers the Welsh Government’s Cynall payment. Read the full article here 👉 https://www.iwa.wales/agenda/2026/05/new-hope-for-wales-children-piloting-a-welsh-child-payment/
Some thoughts from me on Plaid Cymru's Welsh Child Payment pilot.
Institute of Welsh Affairs@iwa-wales.bsky.social · 6mo agoWith the dust beginning to settle on May 7th's momentous election, Professor Rod Hick considers the Welsh Government’s Cynall payment. Read the full article here 👉 https://www.iwa.wales/agenda/2026/05/new-hope-for-wales-children-piloting-a-welsh-child-payment/
Quite a thing to read while trying to arrange a long-overdue catch-up with some very old friends. Recommended. timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/civil-...
The quiet grief of adult friendship
A few weeks ago, a friend called me at 01:40 AM. Not texted. Called. For a brief second, my body prepared itself for bad news. Adulthood has conditioned most of us to believe that late-night...
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Nothing quite makes the case for PR like the amount of campaigning - and campaign material - it stimulates.
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
A good morning for Keir Starmer: Robbins' evidence - essentially that the oral report on Mandelson's security vetting does not match the paperwork, that he wasn't informed of the final SV recommendation and that records of communications with No.10 might be incomplete - is pretty unimpressive.
No10’s account is incredible. I held Developed Vetting for nearly ten years and spent three years at the heart of the Cabinet Office. I have never heard of a Developed Vetting denial being overruled. Here’s why…🧵 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Revealed: Mandelson failed vetting but Foreign Office overruled decision
Guardian investigation uncovers decision by UK security officials to deny clearance before Mandelson took up role as US ambassador
theguardian.com
Inconceivable that Starmer can cling to his current lines for long. As @newseye.bsky.social reminds us below, the Independent reported that Mandelson had failed security vetting back in Sept. Not credible to believe government didn't investigate at that point.
News Eye@newseye.bsky.social · 7mo agoThe news that Mandelson failed security service vetting is NOT NEW. The story broke 7 MONTHS AGO. See story below. Keir Starmer and No.10 claim they only found out this week. But the Independent told No.10 that it had two sources confirming he failed vetting - in September 2025. A web of deceit.
New book! Housing Inequality in the 21st Century is now published. The book explores how policy, markets and wider social change are reshaping housing inequality—and why this matters for wellbeing and justice. policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/housing-ineq... #Housing #Inequality #PublicPolicy
Housing Inequality in the 21st Century
Housing Inequality in the 21st Century - Social Policy and the Political Economy of Housing in the UK; This book exposes how deep-rooted political and economic forces continue to shape unequal housing...
policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk
This has not been discussed in parliament. If the British military are aiding and abetting war crimes in Lebanon, and our politicians have not even explained to us why this is happening, in what sense are we living in a genuinely democratic society any more?
Are you looking for post-doc funding to publish from your PhD or conduct new engagement work? The ESRC's post-doc scheme call is now live. If you'd be interested in being mentored by me (or someone at Cardiff), then do reach out - internal deadlines are quite tight www.ukri.org/opportunity/...
ESRC postdoctoral fellowships
Apply for a postdoctoral fellowship to develop your career by consolidating your PhD through developing publications, your networks and your research and professional skills.
ukri.org
Are you looking for post-doc funding to publish from your PhD or conduct new engagement work? The ESRC's post-doc scheme call is now live. If you'd be interested in being mentored by me (or someone at Cardiff), then do reach out - internal deadlines are quite tight www.ukri.org/opportunity/...
ESRC postdoctoral fellowships
Apply for a postdoctoral fellowship to develop your career by consolidating your PhD through developing publications, your networks and your research and professional skills.
ukri.org
If you read one thing on the UK's latest poverty estimates, read this
Alex Clegg@alexclegg.bsky.social · 8mo ago🧵 New HBAI data out yesterday from DWP and it comes with a big methodological upgrade. For the first time, Family Resources Survey responses have been linked to benefits admin records, fixing years of benefit under-reporting. Here's what it means for how we understand poverty in the UK...
🧵 New HBAI data out yesterday from DWP and it comes with a big methodological upgrade. For the first time, Family Resources Survey responses have been linked to benefits admin records, fixing years of benefit under-reporting. Here's what it means for how we understand poverty in the UK...
What lessons should government learn from the cost-of-living shock that followed the Russian invasion of Ukraine for how to support households in the face of the current energy price spike? open.substack.com/pub/rodhick/...
Learning from the last crisis
Four lessons for tackling the cost-of-living crisis arising from the war on Iran
open.substack.com
What lessons should government learn from the cost-of-living shock that followed the Russian invasion of Ukraine for how to support households in the face of the current energy price spike? open.substack.com/pub/rodhick/...
Learning from the last crisis
Four lessons for tackling the cost-of-living crisis arising from the war on Iran
open.substack.com
Counterpoint: not every crisis is akin to the pandemic and we shouldn't normalise the overnight design of multibillion pound policy responses. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Swinney - UK government must 'get a move on' with heating oil support
The first minister responds to Chancellor Rachel Reeves' promise of help with rising energy costs caused by war in the Middle East
bbc.co.uk
Household classification, family diversity and poverty risks in Europe: Addressing a North-Western bias New paper, by @wvlancker.bsky.social, @bartovalzbeta.bsky.social, @thaning.bsky.social and myself. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
Looking forward to speaking at 2.30pm today alongside @haylesben.bsky.social & Richard Machin about progress in tackling poverty since the 2024 UK election and the upcoming Welsh and Scottish elections. To sign up: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... Thanks to @academiclee.bsky.social for organising.
ASAP UK February Seminar: Social Security and Poverty reflecting on the post General Election period and looking ahead to the Devolved Parliament elections.
26th February 2026 2:30-4pm This webinar will bring together one of the ASAP UK election auditors with two academics from Wales and Scotland to discuss the current social security challenges in rela...
docs.google.com
'Experts' are invited to speculate about what kind of food shock could lead to civil unrest. So they do. Then this is reported as if they claimed a riot is imminent. Very bad stuff. Ultra-high volume journal publishing is a huge threat to scientific integrity www.theguardian.com/food/2026/fe...
‘Tinderbox’ UK may be one shock away from food riots, experts say
Weakened food security could tip into unrest after a cyber-attack, extreme weather or conflict, analysis finds
theguardian.com
