People with fewer community spaces, groups & activities are turning away from the two-party system in greater numbers. New @jrf-uk.bsky.social analysis of the recent elections shows that community need may be an even stronger predictor of anti-establishment voting than deprivation alone. 1/6

Frustrated with the election pundits talking as if votes only 'swing' from one party to another. I did some analysis of the results, and my modelling (based on votes only, not polls) suggests that the largest movement since 2024 local elections (by a long way) is from 'Did Not Vote' -> Reform

Your postcode should never determine whether your child reaches their first birthday, or whether alcohol takes you too soon. Today, two sets of data from the landed that tell a grim story (but not an inevitable one).

The story in yesterday’s poverty data? A small rise in poverty in Labour’s first year, up by 500k to 13.4 million in 2024/25. ⬆️working-age adults in poverty went up by 300k ⬆️number of pensioner in poverty went up by 200k ↔️child poverty stayed flat. More action needed! 1/7

Pride in Place’s commitment to community-led investment in neighbourhood is so needed. But new JRF analysis maps the areas overlooked for funding in England: disproportionately in the north and some ranked as facing among the greatest challenges. They should be priority for expanding the programme.

Greater economic security for families is a key aim of the Government, and my new @jrf-uk.bsky.social paper sets out the role of social infrastructure - community spaces, active community groups and everyday connections - in helping deliver this goal. www.jrf.org.uk/neighbourhoo...

Why social infrastructure matters for economic security

Economic security isn’t just about money, local connections and community support matter too. Pride in Place is a key intervention, but new analysis identifies two key challenges.

jrf.org.uk

Govt’s Pride in Place targets areas with economic deprivation and weaker social infrastructure. Yet, our analysis reveals 2 challenges. We find 430 doubly disadvantaged neighbourhoods in England (home to approx 3.5 million people) are unfunded, incl many ranked as facing the greatest challenges 1/3

Men and women living in the most deprived areas of England and Wales are far more likely to die from causes that are preventable or treatable than those in the least deprived communities.

A new way to explore UK Poverty data ⬇️ Poverty is deepening. Developing solutions to tackle this problem starts with clear, accessible evidence. To make our data more accessible we’ve published all charts, maps and tables from our UK Poverty 2026 in a new, interactive dashboard.

⛓️ ‘Where jobs went, so did the things that held communities together' Poverty affects the whole of the UK, but it’s not distributed evenly. Our analyst @scothunter.bsky.social sets out where poverty is most acute, and the action needed for all communities to thrive, no matter where they are.

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.

The new Welsh IMD shows persistent disadvantage across Wales. While there has been some minor adjustments to the methodology, the overall picture is similar to that of the 2019 release.

> Home purchased for £4k in 1970, now worth £4m > That's £3.945m more than if it had just increased with inflation > Her house has effectively gained £72k in value every year in today's prices > Her house earned around double what the average UK earner did each year

Every child, no matter their background, deserves to have a good start in life. Ethnic minority children were disproportionately impacted by the two child limit which widens ethnic disparities in child poverty rates. Scrapping this cruel policy to lift 450000 children out of poverty is a huge win!

A child poverty strategy with the 2-child limit in place would *not* be a credible child poverty strategy. *All* of the growth in child poverty since the 2011/12 low point is for children in scope of this policy.

No one in the UK should experience destitution - wherever they were born – and destitution should never be an acceptable outcome of policy. But some policies announced in the Home Secretary’s asylum statement risk increasing destitution. 🧵1/7 www.gov.uk/government/p...

🚨New deprivation data reveals continual deep regional divides across many areas in England. High levels of deprivation are concentrated in many ex-industrial northern and midlands towns and coastal areas, where manufacturing and tourism industries have been lost.

Spoke to the BBC about the drivers of deprivation and the impact on families. There's a clear link between living in hardship & feeling socially/politically disconnected. To make meaningful progress, communities must be involved in decisions affecting their lives. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

What is life really like in one of England's most deprived towns?

Hastings in East Sussex is one of the most deprived local authorities in England, data shows.

bbc.co.uk

ONS have published new private rented affordability analysis for 2024. Ratios of rents to incomes dipped in 2022/23 as incomes climbed faster than rents. Rents have been catching up so affordability has worsened again and seems likely it will continue to worsen through 2025...

👉OUT NOW!👈 "A Handbook of Integration with Refugees: Global Learnings from Scotland" Edited with @alisonphipps.bsky.social and @esaldegheri.bsky.social The book is FREE to download from www.multilingual-matters.com

The latest figures released yesterday on premature mortality in England and Wales reveal another stark and persistent inequality: From March 2021 to December 2023, people living in the most deprived areas were 64% more likely to die prematurely than those in the least deprived places.

Congratulations to our students who graduated @stir.ac.uk 👏💐🎓🎉 Hooray for Dr Beth Cairns, Dr @scothunter.bsky.social, & Dr Jade Hooper getting PhDs! 📸 Academics: @niallhsmith.bsky.social @urbaneprofessor.bsky.social @dianamiranda.bsky.social @drashleyrogers.bsky.social @drhannahgraham.bsky.social

1 in 6 children in Wales has been in poverty in 3 out of the last 4 years. 🚨 Urgent, radical action from the Welsh and UK governments is needed to avoid lasting consequences. Our report out today with the Bevan Foundation lays bare the state of poverty in Wales in 2025. 1/6

Where will the cuts to sickness & disability benefits hit hardest? New @jrf-uk.bsky.social constituency analysis shows the % of working age people receiving these benefits in England & Wales. Some MP inboxes are likely to be brimming, as concern about these plans is widespread

You would kind of hope that the Jobcentre might know where to find workers to fill its own vacancies really wouldn't you?

Big Issue@bigissue.com · last yr.

DWP 'work coach shortage' could undermine Labour's bid to help disabled people into work

Today’s poverty statistics show that the Scottish Government has failed to meet the interim child poverty reduction targets. 240,000 children is Scotland remain in poverty (AHC). To have met the targets a further 40,000 children would need to have been lifted out of poverty.

All ethnic minority groups in the UK continue to face persistent poverty with no signs of improvement from last year. 📊 New DWP figures show people in Bangladeshi households are still 3x more likely to be in poverty compared to white households, and Pakistani households are 2.5x more likely.

New poverty rate figures show the West Midlands, London and the North West had the highest child poverty rates with over a third of children in poverty. In Scotland (where things are being done differently) the child poverty rate is joint lowest for the UK at 23%.

Around 4.5 million children are living in relative poverty after housing costs. 200,000 more since before the pandemic. These are record numbers of children living in poverty. Latest DWP figures on Households Below Average Income has found 🔽 1/3