Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dr Hayley Bennett @haylesben.bsky.social · 12h

Our latest @safety-nets.bsky.social project blog is out. We reflect on spatial inequalities and disability benefit reforms. And the pickle UK gov changes might create for subnational and devolved authorities.

RSA Blog @rsablog.bsky.social · 15h

New RSA Blog 📉
“The Growth Gamble” explores how UK welfare reform, deindustrialisation & regional divides intersect.
By Sioned Pearce, @haylesben.bsky.social, Mhairi Ross & @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social.

👉 www.regionalstudies.org/rsa-blog/202...

The growth gamble: Do we need to loosen the tie binding devolution with economic outcomes in England? - RSA Main

Earlier in 2025, the UK government announced a commitment to reduce spending on disability benefits by restructuring entitlements and eligibility to various health-related benefits. It claims through ...

www.regionalstudies.org

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RSA Blog @rsablog.bsky.social · 15h

New RSA Blog 📉
“The Growth Gamble” explores how UK welfare reform, deindustrialisation & regional divides intersect.
By Sioned Pearce, @haylesben.bsky.social, Mhairi Ross & @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social.

👉 www.regionalstudies.org/rsa-blog/202...

The growth gamble: Do we need to loosen the tie binding devolution with economic outcomes in England? - RSA Main

Earlier in 2025, the UK government announced a commitment to reduce spending on disability benefits by restructuring entitlements and eligibility to various health-related benefits. It claims through ...

www.regionalstudies.org

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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 7d

"Abolishing the WCA without ensuring the PIP assessment is more inclusive could result in people receiving no support," said @rachaelmaskell.bsky.social.

"This will particularly impact, for example, someone recovering from cancer or a serious accident." www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

Labour faces another mass rebellion over reforms to universal credit

Welfare secretary Pat McFadden plans further reforms to the benefits system, expected to include abolishing the work capability assessment.

www.bigissue.com

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Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 8d

Looking forward to discussing the vital need for improved support for children and young people with send with @theifs.bsky.social @helenmiller.bsky.social & colleagues, drawing on our own recent @changingrealities.bsky.social briefing changingrealities.org/writings/wha...

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 8d

As Yom Kippur ends, it is terrible that a holy day has seen people killed at a place of worship in Manchester

I hope many of us will express solidarity + support for Jews in Britain, and work with them + those of every faith and none to deepen our efforts to tackle antisemitism, hatred + extremism

To everyone in Britain's Jewish Community: you are not alone.

We will not let hate or those who spread it win.

We stand with you

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Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 9d

Such vital and important research! Excited to see what the @cfpjustice.bsky.social does - very timely after yesterdays speech too!

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Prof Gráinne McKeever @mckeevergrainne.bsky.social · 9d

As part of the work of our new #CentreForPeoplesJustice
@cfpjustice.bsky.social we've created this video about the making of #HillsboroughLaw (aka the Public Office (Accountability) Bill), intended to get public authorities to tell the truth: youtu.be/MCoSZzEOWLk?...

Hillsborough Law in Parliament - The journey begins

YouTube video by Centre for Peoples Justice

youtu.be

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Child Poverty Action Group @cpaguk.bsky.social · 9d

To reduce child poverty, government must scrap the two-chid limit. And that means fully scrapping it – no benefit cap, no tapers, no new limit. All children deserve the best start in life, and messing around the edges of this policy won’t cut it. 2/2

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Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 9d

No ifs, no buts. The two-child limit needs completely scrapping, and the benefit cap with it.

Punchy @theguardian.com leader making this case

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The Guardian view on child poverty: the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap can’t come soon enough | Editorial

Editorial: Extra services for poorer families are welcome, but real progress requires the raising of incomes

www.theguardian.com

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Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 10d

Starmer pledged to take action on child poverty this afternoon. The first step to doing this has to be the complete eradication of the punitive two-child limit and benefit cap. The future of all of our children demands nothing less. Half way through steps & staging posts do not suffice.

Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 10d

EXCL: Rachel Reeves is set to lift the two-child benefit limit in the budget with officials exploring options of a new tapered system.

The Treasury is exploring if it might instead be limited to three or four children – or whether there could be a tapered rate.

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Rachel Reeves to lift two-child benefit cap in November’s budget

Exclusive: Officials exploring options to change rule that affected 1.7 million children in Great Britain last year UK politics live – latest updates

www.theguardian.com

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Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 10d

EXCL: Rachel Reeves is set to lift the two-child benefit limit in the budget with officials exploring options of a new tapered system.

The Treasury is exploring if it might instead be limited to three or four children – or whether there could be a tapered rate.

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Rachel Reeves to lift two-child benefit cap in November’s budget

Exclusive: Officials exploring options to change rule that affected 1.7 million children in Great Britain last year UK politics live – latest updates

www.theguardian.com

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Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 10d

The delivery was by far the best too but we still waiting for more on child poverty if we are to really have a Britain built for all. Jonny Roberts from @changingrealities.bsky.social put it well in his piece for @labourlist.bsky.social labourlist.org/2025/09/chil...

'Bringing emotion and reality to the debate on child poverty.': one conference attendee's experience - LabourList

Jonny Roberts has come to conference to share his experience of being a single dad - and call for Labour to take bold action on child poverty.

labourlist.org

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Kitty Stewart @kittyjstewart.bsky.social · 10d

labourlist.org/2025/09/chil... Great piece by Jonny Roberts of @changingrealities.bsky.social But looks like the battle to end the pernicious two child limit goes on

'Bringing emotion and reality to the debate on child poverty.': one conference attendee's experience - LabourList

Jonny Roberts has come to conference to share his experience of being a single dad - and call for Labour to take bold action on child poverty.

labourlist.org

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Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 10d

A Britain built for all (as Starmer promises) needs real and sustained action on child poverty and that has to start with an end to the two-child limit. It really is that simple.

www.largerfamilies.study

Benefit changes and larger families

We are a group of university-based researchers investigating how families with more than two children are coping with the benefit cap or the two-child limit.

www.largerfamilies.study

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Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 10d

‘An announcement on [the two child limit] at conference would bring the house down’

Jonny Roberts from @changingrealities.bsky.social saying it as it is in @labourlist.bsky.social ahead of Keir Starmer’s speech

labourlist.org/2025/09/chil...

'Bringing emotion and reality to the debate on child poverty.': one conference attendee's experience - LabourList

Jonny Roberts has come to conference to share his experience of being a single dad - and call for Labour to take bold action on child poverty.

labourlist.org

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Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 10d

Lovely to get a river side coffee in with former York colleagues Kate Pickett and Anthonia James

Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 10d

An invigorating start today wirh the @cpaguk.bsky.social swimmers crew at Albert Docks

Let’s get the Child Poverty Strategy this country needs, & get rid of sewage from our nation’s waters

Both achievable. Both urgently needed.

@sascampaigns.bsky.social

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Dr Hayley Bennett @haylesben.bsky.social · 11d

This week @clemmiehilloconnor.bsky.social & are presenting at the Scottish Government's Public Participation Learning Network our paper on lived experience as evidence. Info on the paper available here in this SKAPE @uoe-sps.bsky.social blog: www.skape.ed.ac.uk/skape-lived-...

Lived experience as evidence in anti-poverty policy making: a governance-driven perspective – SKAPE

www.skape.ed.ac.uk

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Save the Children UK @savechildrenuk.bsky.social · 11d

As they arrive at the Labour Party Conference, we're greeting Keir Starmer and his MPs with a message that demands a screen bigger than 21,000 mobile phones*:

"What was the point of winning the general election if not to lift kids out of poverty?"

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Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 12d

Sun out in Bradford as I commute from one city centre train station to the other on way to Labour Party conference in Liverpool. Get in touch if you’re there & fancy chatting social security, participatory policy making and what ever became of the Northern Powerhouse

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Centre for Public Policy @uofgpolicy.bsky.social · 15d

NEW insights from @haylesben.bsky.social 🔍

📝 Holyrood 2026: Addressing poverty and inequality must be at the top of the agenda

After our @parliament.scot #FoP2025 panel, Dr Hayley Bennett examines anti-poverty policymaking post-2026 Scottish Parliamentary Election.

🔗 www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/...

Holyrood 2026: Addressing poverty and inequality must be at the top of the agenda. Reflections from the festival of Politics. Dr Hayley Bennett. University of Glasgow and Centre for Public Policy logos, a photo of the parliament and a photo of Hayley.

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Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 15d

Making news headlines in the Arran Banner is what dreams are made of. Super proud of my ace friend Steph for taking first place in style www.westcoasttoday.co.uk/sport/female...

Female fortitude to the fore at Lamlash Splash

Female swimmers in this year’s Lamlash Splash showed their male counterparts how it should be done by taking first, second, third and fourth positions in the gruelling swim from Holy Isle to Lamlash p...

www.westcoasttoday.co.uk

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Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 15d

Fab to see the SSAC boost its expertise and especially good to see the appointment of my amazing Glasgow colleague @profsharonwright.bsky.social

Tom Clark @tom-clark.bsky.social · 15d

Social Security is all that a lot of people have got

Lives can get caught on the smallest snares in the system, snares which can be avoided by careful attention to detail

That’s what the independent scrutiny & advice of SSAC aims to do

Pleased to join the committee www.gov.uk/government/n...

New appointments to the Social Security Advisory Committee

The Social Security Advisory Committee welcomes 4 new members.

www.gov.uk

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Tom Clark @tom-clark.bsky.social · 15d

Social Security is all that a lot of people have got

Lives can get caught on the smallest snares in the system, snares which can be avoided by careful attention to detail

That’s what the independent scrutiny & advice of SSAC aims to do

Pleased to join the committee www.gov.uk/government/n...

New appointments to the Social Security Advisory Committee

The Social Security Advisory Committee welcomes 4 new members.

www.gov.uk

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Dr Hayley Bennett @haylesben.bsky.social · 17d

Some more artwork for my office door from @povertyalliance.org “Scotland demands better” march (on 25th October in Edinburgh) just above my favourite photo by Kirsty Mackay “Tax the rich”.

Glass pane in door with 4 postcards taped to the glass. One challenge poverty week, one a photo of a boy, and one the scotland demands better campaign. Bottom one is artwork

Photo of a photo by kirsty mackay of a boy holding a sign saying tax the rich

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Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 17d

Please do read and share this thread on @changingrealities.bsky.social parents and carers take on what needs to be in the schools white paper.

Echoes much of what @johnharris1969.bsky.social said yesterday, & what thousands of parents are calling for.

Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 17d

We can all agree that the current systems of Special Educational Needs support are failing but the next step is to agree what change is needed to build a better, more inclusive system that works for all children

www.changingrealities.org/writings/wha...

[short 🧵, launching new @changing_r note]

www.changingrealities.org

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Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 17d

We can all agree that the current systems of Special Educational Needs support are failing but the next step is to agree what change is needed to build a better, more inclusive system that works for all children

www.changingrealities.org/writings/wha...

[short 🧵, launching new @changing_r note]

www.changingrealities.org

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Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 18d

6,000+ children live in Temporary Accommodation (TA) in Lambeth

40,000+ people are on their social housing waiting list

TA is anything but 'temporary'.

Households need the five basics:

Cooking facilities
Laundry access
Wi-Fi
Secure storage
Clear information

Thanks IMRO for campaigning lunch

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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 21d

Scrapping of two-child benefit cap closer as Bridget Phillipson attacks ‘spiteful’ policy

Exclusive: Clearest sign yet No 10 is preparing to ditch policy as its preferred deputy leadership hopeful says issue is ‘profoundly personal’ * UK politics live – latest updates Ministers are a step closer to abandoning the two-child benefit cap after Downing Street’s preferred candidate to be Labour’s deputy leader said the policy was “spiteful” and had “punished and pushed children into hardship”. Bridget Phillipson said the cap’s abolition was “on the table” – the clearest sign yet that Downing Street is preparing to scrap the controversial policy. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 21d

Moody morning for my dawn commute to @uofglasgow.bsky.social through the dales

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