Samuel Thomas

Can see the case for this, but it needs careful handling. Currently fit notes act as an initial gateway for ill and disabled people to unlock benefits support and get protection from sanctions. Reform must make this support easier to access, not harder.

Read the full blog here: z2k.org/the-case-for-a… (6/6)

This idea has been discussed in policy circles for some time, and was even recently explored by the DWP itself. With debates about the future of disability benefits intensifying, it feels more relevant than ever. (5/6)

🧵New blog: The case for adding a condition‑based route to PIP Calls are growing to restrict PIP eligibility based on condition, including a recent report from the Tony Blair Institute. These proposals are dangerous and unworkable. But they do touch on one key truth. (1/6) 👇

I'm doing a story on cuts to the Universal Credit disability payments - I'm looking to speak to anyone who started claiming means-tested disability benefit (LCWRA, either in ESA or UC) for the first time when they were in their 50s or 60s My DMs are open, grateful for any RTs

The full consultation response is here: gov.uk/government/con…

Encouraging to see @DWPgovuk adopt some @Z2K_trust recommendations in the Code of Practice on new claimant bank data powers. Serious concerns remain – close monitoring will be critical as this is rolled out.

These proposals risk doubling down on what’s broken. Reform must be grounded in an understanding of how PIP works in practice. (5/5)

There is also a pledge to ‘restrict eligibility for PIP for people with lower-level mental health conditions’. But there is no attempt to define how this would work, and it would be extremely difficult to deliver in practice. (4/5)

While social security legislation was absent from the King’s Speech, the Conservatives’ ‘Alternative King’s Speech’ includes a ‘Welfare Reform Bill’. 🧵(1/5)

A comprehensive and balanced analysis of the main critiques of rent control. Any rent policy intervention will hinge on proactive enforcement, given the very limited use of the renter-led tribunal system (c. 1,000 cases in two years).

Renters who challenge unfair rent increases are £1,140 a year better off on average. New research by @Z2K_trust shows the tribunal system works but far too few people use it. With the Renters’ Rights Act now in force, this can change. Read the report 👇z2k.org/rent-increase-…

Misleading comparison. Many working households, including above-average earners, also receive benefits.

Find the full research here: z2k.org/rent-increase-… (9/9)

Read more from @alb_toth in @Independent: independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-n… (8/9)

🧵New Z2K research out today: renters who challenge rent increases are over £1,000 a year better off on average. As the Renters' Rights Act gives renters more power to fight rent hikes, we analysed 746 tribunal decisions to see how the rent‑challenge system really works. 👇(1/9)