Policy in Practice blog

Title	Date	Start Time	Duration	Register
How the housing crisis has deepened the cost of living crisis For most people housing is the highest living cost, yet the ongoing housing crisis in the UK is often overlooked when discussing the current cost of living crisis. This webinar will explore the policy issues affecting housing affordability for low-income households, examining the scale of the problem as well as what can be done in both the short and long term. We will highlight important work done by our clients using data to proactively address housing issues. We will be joined by a leading local authority to discuss a recent project conducted with Policy in Practice that used benefits administration data to identify households in temporary accommodation that could be helped to move into the private rental sector. Join this webinar to learn: - How UK housing policy interacts with the cost of living crisis - How local authorities are using data to proactively tackle housing affordability problems - Actions you can take now to support your residents dealing with housing issues alongside the cost of living crisis	27/7/2022j/n/Y	10:30 BST2022-07-27T09:30:00ZH:i T	1.3 hours	Register
How to identify and support Just About Managing households using data The government has said it wants to make life easier for the 'squeezed middle' or people who are just about managing. These are the families who are not rich and they are also not those on the lowest incomes. Despite most being in work, they are struggling to meet their cost of living and it is no wonder. The cost of living hit a 30-year high in February with inflation running at 6.2% and outpacing wage growth. Electricity bills were up nearly 20% in the year to January 2022, and gas bills by 28%, with further rises expected. Private rental prices across the UK went up by 2% in the year to January, the highest rate for five years; in the East Midlands that figure was 3.6%. We know that one in five UK adults (10.3 million people) have less than £100 in savings, one in ten have no savings at all and more than a quarter have less than £500. Many are one broken appliance away from slipping into debt. Local authorities want to help families who are struggling now to avoid a crisis down the line yet they have little or no visibility over people who are not already claiming benefits. Now though, analysis of other datasets can be used to get a clearer picture of families who are just about managing. Join this webinar to learn: - Who is just about managing now but at risk in the future due to the rising cost of living - Which datasets can be used to identify families in danger of debt - How local authorities can target support to avert crisis	21/9/2022j/n/Y	10:30 BST2022-09-21T09:30:00ZH:i T	1.3 hours	Register

Title

Date

Start Time

Duration

How the housing crisis has deepened the cost of living crisis For most people housing is the highest living cost, yet the ongoing housing crisis in the UK is often overlooked when discussing the current cost of living crisis.

This webinar will explore the policy issues affecting housing affordability for low-income households, examining the scale of the problem as well as what can be done in both the short and long term.

We will highlight important work done by our clients using data to proactively address housing issues.

We will be joined by a leading local authority to discuss a recent project conducted with Policy in Practice that used benefits administration data to identify households in temporary accommodation that could be helped to move into the private rental sector.

Join this webinar to learn:

- How UK housing policy interacts with the cost of living crisis
- How local authorities are using data to proactively tackle housing affordability problems
- Actions you can take now to support your residents dealing with housing issues alongside the cost of living crisis

27/7/2022

10:30 BST

1.3 hours

How to identify and support Just About Managing households using data The government has said it wants to make life easier for the 'squeezed middle' or people who are just about managing. These are the families who are not rich and they are also not those on the lowest incomes. Despite most being in work, they are struggling to meet their cost of living and it is no wonder.

The cost of living hit a 30-year high in February with inflation running at 6.2% and outpacing wage growth. Electricity bills were up nearly 20% in the year to January 2022, and gas bills by 28%, with further rises expected. Private rental prices across the UK went up by 2% in the year to January, the highest rate for five years; in the East Midlands that figure was 3.6%.

We know that one in five UK adults (10.3 million people) have less than £100 in savings, one in ten have no savings at all and more than a quarter have less than £500. Many are one broken appliance away from slipping into debt.

Local authorities want to help families who are struggling now to avoid a crisis down the line yet they have little or no visibility over people who are not already claiming benefits. Now though, analysis of other datasets can be used to get a clearer picture of families who are just about managing.

Join this webinar to learn:

- Who is just about managing now but at risk in the future due to the rising cost of living
- Which datasets can be used to identify families in danger of debt
- How local authorities can target support to avert crisis

21/9/2022

10:30 BST

1.3 hours

Cost of living crisis: Critiquing the measures to maximise income

May 16, 2022

Tylor-Maria Johnson

No new measures to maximise income were given in the Queen’s Speech despite the cost of living crisis. We look at Universal Credit’s untapped potential.

Photo of two older people on a bench to illustrate pensioner poverty

Why a focus on tackling pensioner poverty is now needed

April 29, 2022

Zoe Charlesworth

Pensioner poverty is on the rise as the cost of living crisis grips the country. We explore pensioners’ income and Pension Credit take up.

Benefit sanctions set to increase dramatically and unevenly across the UK

April 12, 2022

Mary-Alice Doyle

Benefits sanctions are set for a big increase even without the new work search at four weeks rule for people on Universal Credit.

Over a million more people will be in poverty in April as we’re worse off than a decade ago

March 23, 2022

Deven Ghelani

Over a million more people will be in poverty this April says new analysis from Policy in Practice ahead of the Spring Statement 2022.

Photo of a food bank to illustrate a blog post on how admin data can tell us more about poverty rates in the UK

Data analysis shows 1 in 4 London households will be in poverty by April

March 14, 2022

Mary-Alice Doyle

UK poverty rates are hard to understand due to outdated estimates. We look at how administrative data can help fill this gap.

How better use of Universal Credit can tackle the cost of living crisis

February 23, 2022

Deven Ghelani

We look at the government’s case for uprating benefits by less than inflation and argue that Universal Credit should be made to work better.

Photo of a mechanic to illustrate a blog post on the new requirement for work search at four weeks

Universal Credit: Why work search at four weeks is a lose-lose policy

February 14, 2022

Mary-Alice Doyle

We explore the new rule for Universal Credit work search at four weeks and explain why it’s a lose-lose policy for claimants and public purse.

What linking children’s social care and benefits data can tell us

January 25, 2022

Rick Hood, Kingston University

Linking children’s social care and benefits data may tell us more about hardship experienced by families referred to children’s social care.

2022: The challenges ahead for low-income families

January 13, 2022

Deven Ghelani

2022 is set to be a year with many challenges, especially for low-income households. We explore three of these and suggest actions that can make a difference.