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Nuffield Foundation @nuffieldfoundation.org · 5d

The economics of the justice system is the theme of the 2025 @resmedia.bsky.social Summit, which is sponsored by the Foundation & taking place at our office on 2 December. We hope the event provides an opportunity for academic economists to gain an understanding of the work we fund.
bit.ly/46JttXP

Strategic Fund | Apply for Funding | Nuffield Foundation

The Nuffield Foundation £15m Strategic Fund is now open for ambitious, interdisciplinary research projects. Check your eligibility and apply for funding.

bit.ly

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Work Foundation @workfoundation.bsky.social · 5d

Comment from our Head of Research, @alicepmartin.bsky.social, on figures from the Office for National Statistics on the impact of motherhood on monthly employee earnings and employment status.

The full statement is available at: lancaster.ac.uk/work-foundat...

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Resolution Foundation @resfoundation.bsky.social · 5d

47 per cent of families in the bottom half of the income distribution have less than £1,000 in liquid savings, almost three times the proportion in the top of half of the distribution.

These are the sort of funds that would be used to cover urgent needs - like a car break-down of broken boiler.

As Figure 1 reveals: three-in-five (60 per cent) of families in
the bottom half of the income distribution had liquid savings of less than three months’
income, compared to two-in-five among families in the top half of the distribution (38 per
cent). This gap widens, however, if we look at a lower savings threshold of £1,000 – not
enough for a prolonged period of lost income, but sufficient to cover an urgent need like
a car break-down or broken boiler. 47 per cent of families in the bottom half of the income
distribution have less than £1,000 in liquid savings, almost three times the proportion in
the top of half of the distribution (17 per cent).

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Resolution Foundation @resfoundation.bsky.social · 17d

Almost half (47%) of families in the bottom half of the income distribution have less than £1,000 in liquid savings, almost three times the proportion as the top of half.

These are the sort of funds that would be used to cover urgent needs - like a car break-down of broken boiler.

Chart showing proportion of non-pensioner families with savings below a given threshold: Gb 2020-2022.
The charts shows that three-in-five (60 per cent) of families in the bottom half of the income distribution had liquid savings of less than three months’ income, compared to two-in-five among families in the top half of the distribution (38 per cent). This gap widens, however, if we look at a lower savings threshold of £1,000 – not enough for a prolonged period of lost income, but sufficient to cover an urgent need like a car break-down or broken boiler. 47 per cent of families in the bottom half of the income distribution have less than £1,000 in liquid savings, almost three times the proportion in the top of half of the distribution (17 per cent).

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Osmond Chiu (赵明佑) @redrabbleroz.bsky.social · 21d

A good little chart from the Parliamentary Library showing how almost all social spending by the Commonwealth is already means-tested #auspol

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The Institute for Fiscal Studies @theifs.bsky.social · 21d

NEW: Previous state pension age increases have not been felt equally: women already out of employment in their late 50s were particularly hard hit by the rise from 60 to 65 in the 2010s.

THREAD on Jonathan Cribb, Anna Henry and @heidikarj.bsky.social’s new research on state pension rises:

Chart shows effect of increasing state pension age from 60 to 65 on the weekly individual income of 60- to 64-year-old women. Title states: "Women aged 60–64 who were out of work at 58 saw their weekly income fall by £81 on average as a result of the state pension age increase."

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British Sociological Association @britsoci.bsky.social · 21d

Early Career Researchers – get connected with the Administrative Data Research initiative, which gives access to administrative datasets that are not publicly available. Book now for our @bsaecr.bsky.social workshop, 22 October, online tinyurl.com/mrckf2fa

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ETUI @etui.bsky.social · 21d

What happened over the summer in the world of #CollectiveBargaining? ☀️ 🤝

🔺Austria: Collective agreements for freelancers possible from 2026
🔺 France: Unions unite against Government budget plan
🔺 Slovenia: Reduced working hours for older workers

Catch up with our newsletter 🔗 etui.org/ZR2

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SPA Employment policy group @spaemploysocsec.bsky.social · Sep 5

If you're London or South East England based, you might be interested in this role:
Head of Social Policy, and New Economics Foundation

neweconomics.org/about/work-w...

Head of Social Policy

Together we can change the rules to protect the planet, share the wealth and give everyone a say in how the economy is run.

neweconomics.org

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SPA Employment policy group @spaemploysocsec.bsky.social · Sep 2

SPA funded event led by Elke Heins and Steven Ballantyne in Edinburgh. 18th September Sign-up here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/collaborat...

Collaborative Workshop: Skills in the UK

Challenges and Opportunities for Boosting Economic Growth and Achieving Net Zero

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Social Policy Association @socialpolicyuk.bsky.social · Aug 27

Research briefing launch event: "Successfully engaging paid care workers in organising: Challenges, opportunities, and what works".

12pm to 1pm, 18th September 2025

via Zoom

w/ Duncan Fisher( @duncfsh.bsky.social) and Liam Foster, Uni of Sheffield.

Info ▶️ social-policy.org.uk/events/resea...

Research briefing launch event [online]: Successfully engaging paid care workers in organising: Challenges, opportunities, and what works - Social Policy Association

This online event will introduce a new research briefing and generate discussion of organising and union activity among paid adult social care (ASC) workers and [...]

social-policy.org.uk

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Duncan Weldon @duncanweldon.bsky.social · Aug 26

RF report on the jobs market data is interesting.

Good news: they reckon the ONS data on employment and inactivity looks to be broadly right!

Bad news: they reckon the trends are pretty much the opposite to what the official data says and rather grim.

www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...

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Louise Murphy @louisemurphy.bsky.social · Aug 26

There are a few jobs going in the RF research team - more info here: www.resolutionfoundation.org/about-us/opp...

Resolution Foundation @resfoundation.bsky.social · Aug 26

Ready for your next step? We're hiring! 📣

If you have strong quantitative research skills and a commitment to raising living standards in the UK, you might be the right fit for our team.

Find out more about becoming an Economist or Research & Policy Analyst ⤵️ buff.ly/7MNZRR4

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Anna Dent @annadent.bsky.social · Aug 27

Next week is back to school for many

Of equal importance, it will also see the next edition of my Digital Welfare State newsletter!

Sign up now to receive a bumper pack of things you might have missed, interesting reading and food for thought - read all about it ⬇️

Digital welfare state: origins, controversies, research — ABD Consultancy

How are governments worldwise using AI and other tech to administer the welfare state? Find out about research, policy and investigations into the digital welfare state, including digital surveillance...

www.abdconsultancy.co.uk

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The Institute for Fiscal Studies @theifs.bsky.social · Aug 27

When and how should the government protect existing claimants from benefit cuts?

@eduinlatimer.bsky.social and @matthewoulton.bsky.social discuss trade-offs involved when designing transitional protections for benefit cuts & what it means for recent benefit reforms:

ifs.org.uk/articles/whe...

When and how should the government protect existing claimants from benefit cuts? | Institute for Fiscal Studies

Important trade-offs are involved when designing transitional protections for benefit cuts.

ifs.org.uk

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Anna Dent @annadent.bsky.social · Aug 27

What's the best way to pay people who are involved in a research project? It's a challenge I've encountered many times - how to pay people without bank accounts, or worried about the interaction with their benefits?

This looks like a super useful resource:

Payment for Involvement Playbook [Free Resource]

Your comprehensive guide to creating a fair and equitable payment for involvement policy.

thesocialchangeagency.org

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SPA Employment policy group @spaemploysocsec.bsky.social · Aug 27

New article: "More than a mental health issue: broadening the concept of ‘work capability’ through qualitative secondary analysis of claimant narratives" by @annieirvine.bsky.social and Cassandra Lovelock:

bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journal...

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SPA Employment policy group @spaemploysocsec.bsky.social · Aug 27

acss.org.uk/what-is-soci...

Why social science matters – Academy of Social Sciences

acss.org.uk

SPA Employment policy group @spaemploysocsec.bsky.social · Aug 27

Analysis exploring the impact of eligibility criteria on living standards and income adequacy. This research uses the established Minimum Income Standard research to explore the impact of apprenticeships on household income. youthfuturesfoundation.org/publication/...

youthfuturesfoundation.org

SPA Employment policy group @spaemploysocsec.bsky.social · Aug 27

How does the benefits system influence young people’s choices?
How does support provided for young people in different circumstances vary according to whether they remain in education, begin an apprenticeship or move into paid work with training?

ssac.blog.gov.uk/2025/08/01/h...

How does the benefits system influence young people’s choices?

The Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) exists to provide impartial advice to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the wider ministerial team on the social security system. As part o...

ssac.blog.gov.uk

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Resolution Foundation @resfoundation.bsky.social · Aug 26

🚨 New research published today 🚨

Our analysis finds that inactivity is rising and unemployment has not yet peaked.

Learn more 👉 buff.ly/a9SnWhw

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Resolution Foundation @resfoundation.bsky.social · Aug 18

What are the impacts of the new Employment Rights Bill?

Raising job quality and tackling hours insecurity will be key. Here's what you need to know ⬇️

Get all the details our latest Low Pay Britain report: buff.ly/0OSArrI

Having reduced low pay, the next frontier is raising job quality
Progress on reducing low pay - from a fifth of the workforce to just 1% of workers aged 25+ - has not been matched action to tackle insecurity at work
Strengthening employee rights will benefit mainly low-paid workers, including extending Statutory Sick Pay coverage to the 1.3 million lowest paid.

2.4 million workers who are anxious about surprise changes to shifts will gain new protections.

Employment rights are about improving workers’ lives, not GDP growth
While business groups claim the Employment Rights Bill will be damaging, the government says it will help solve the UK’s productivity problems.
In reality, evidence suggests there will little economic impact in either direction. Countries that have reduced employment regulation have seen similar employment growth to other countries.

Clocking in..
Plans to tackle hours insecurity include:
1) A new right to a contract reflecting the hours someone usually works
2) A new right to reasonable notice of shift patterns with compensation for short-notice cancellations

However, details are being left for secondary legislation.
We suggest ‘reasonable’ notice for shift changes should be set to 2 weeks. Shifts cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice should be compensated in full.
These, along with other measures, will reduce workers’ anxiety.

Tackling bogus self-employment
The recent increase in Employer National Insurance has raised the employment status tax gap between employees and self-employed workers to 9% for a typical earner.
This raises the risk of bogus self-employment - where workers are misclassified as self-employed to avoid tax and legal responsibilities.
The Government must therefore complement stronger rights with stronger enforcement of the boundary between workers and the genuine self-employed.

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Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf-uk.bsky.social · Aug 18

Are you ready to help us make the news? 🤔

Do you want to use your instincts for what makes a good media story to make a difference for those living in poverty?

We have two job roles in our media team:
- Senior Media Manager
- Media Manager

Apply here: www.jrf.org.uk/careers.

Careers

Do you want to help build a fairer future, free from poverty? Join us and use your skills to make a real difference.

www.jrf.org.uk

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Women's Budget Group @womensbudgetgrp.bsky.social · Aug 18

Important findings from @niesrorg.bsky.social - Bangladeshi & Pakistani women face the highest unemployment & pay gaps in London.

This new research reveals bias in hiring, inflexible workplaces & poor access to childcare. Migrant women also face visa issues & unrecognised overseas qualifications.

National Institute of Economic and Social Research @niesrorg.bsky.social · Aug 16

#WeekendReading

In case you missed it, earlier this week we released a report on barriers to good work that Bangladeshi and Pakistani women in London face.

Access the full report with the findings and recommendations ⬇️

Bangladeshi and Pakistani Women in Good Work - NIESR

Bangladeshi and Pakistani women are among the most underrepresented group in London’s workforce. This report explores the barriers these women face.

niesr.ac.uk

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Resolution Foundation @resfoundation.bsky.social · Aug 18

Over a million lower income families today include both a disabled person and an unpaid carer.

These households suffer a £3,300 income penalty as a result. And this rises to £7,600 if disability benefits are excluded.

Read More: buff.ly/u26GnmA

Chart showing the proportion of working-age adults who are disabled or are caring for someone who is ill, disabled or elderly for at least five hours a week, and proportion of families with a disabled member or a carer, by household income: UK, 2023-24
More than two-in-five (43 per cent, or 5.6 million) of low-to-middle income families include a disabled person or a carer, and almost one-in-ten (9 per cent, or 1.1 million) low-to-middle income families include both – more than twice the rate among higher-income families, at 4 per cent (see Figure 7). A further 9 per cent of both low-to-middle income and higher income families have a disabled person or a carer in their wider household, but not within the family

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