Welfare policy research @citizensadvice.bsky.social All views my ownhttps://bsky.app/profile/julia-rt.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/julia-rt.bsky.social/post/3mq34kyutlc26Frozen 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 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/rents-lha-housing-benefit-costs-freeze-dwp-b3009844.html07 Jul 2026 17:22 +0000at://did:plc:wlw5eyikklqmap4kxfgsxtav/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq34kyutlc26https://bsky.app/profile/julia-rt.bsky.social/post/3mlkrmlpr5s2yHousing costs support is one of the most common issues we help low-income households with at @citizensadvice.bsky.social A big reason: private renters' UC housing support is frozen at rent levels from 2.5+yrs ago. And rents are up 16% since then. New blog from me + @drsarahhadfield.bsky.social 🧵 https://wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/feeling-the-freeze-85cf13acc25b?postPublishedType=repub11 May 2026 07:42 +0000at://did:plc:wlw5eyikklqmap4kxfgsxtav/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlkrmlpr5s2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/julia-rt.bsky.social/post/3m37yvwvagc25Great to see coverage of the 5 week wait in @the-independent.com, highlighting new Citizens Advice analysis of the huge scale of this issue ⚠️800,000 households repaying loans to DWP only needed because of 5 week wait for 1st UC payment ⚠️0.5M+ children growing up in households repaying these loans [contains quote post or other embedded content]15 Oct 2025 10:11 +0000at://did:plc:wlw5eyikklqmap4kxfgsxtav/app.bsky.feed.post/3m37yvwvagc25https://bsky.app/profile/julia-rt.bsky.social/post/3lzpylouqfk2oImportant and thoughtful new report from @beccastacey.bsky.social on how the benefits system could be better at making work pay for disabled people + great to see this coverage in @bigissue.com from @cjayanetti.bsky.social 👇👇👇 [contains quote post or other embedded content]26 Sep 2025 07:57 +0000at://did:plc:wlw5eyikklqmap4kxfgsxtav/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzpylouqfk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/julia-rt.bsky.social/post/3lvsrqfmhkc2n📢New briefing with @drsarahhadfield.bsky.social published today - looking at how UC’s rigid monthly model is often at odds with recipients’ working lives, and how + why the UC review could be a chance to fix this ⬇️ [contains quote post or other embedded content]07 Aug 2025 12:52 +0000at://did:plc:wlw5eyikklqmap4kxfgsxtav/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvsrqfmhkc2n