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1 month ago | 
transformingsociety.co.uk | Ruth Patrick |Aaron Reeves
This article was originally published in The Conversation. Keir Starmer’s government is expected to announce a host of cuts to sickness and disability support in the coming days. The UK’s ageing and increasingly unwell population has led to what has been described as “unsustainable” and “indefensible” spending on benefits.
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1 month ago | 
phys.org | Ruth Patrick |Aaron Reeves
Keir Starmer's government is expected to announce a host of cuts to sickness and disability support in the coming days. The UK's aging and increasingly unwell population has led to what has been described as "unsustainable" and "indefensible" spending on benefits.
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1 month ago | 
theconversation.com | Ruth Patrick |Aaron Reeves
Keir Starmer’s government is expected to announce a host of cuts to sickness and disability support in the coming days. The UK’s ageing and increasingly unwell population has led to what has been described as “unsustainable” and “indefensible” spending on benefits.
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Jan 2, 2025 | 
prospectmagazine.co.uk | Ruth Patrick |Mike Brewer
To govern is to choose and last month we saw some very different choices being made by political leaders in the UK. In a film studio outside London, Keir Starmer unveiled his “plan for change”, with a series of measurable milestones by which he wants his Labour government to be judged. These include a commitment to drive up living standards, and specific targets on housebuilding and NHS waiting lists.
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Jan 1, 2025 | 
bigissue.com | Ruth Patrick
Dr Ruth Patrick writes that in the New Year, the Labour government needs to stick to its word and bring about change – starting with reforming the social security system so that it provides a proper safety net for people living in poverty by: Ruth Patrick 2024: the year that everything changed, and yet everything stayed the same. At least that’s how it has felt at times.
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Dec 5, 2024 | 
bigissue.com | Ruth Patrick
Ruth Patrick writes about why Keir Starmer's government must follow Scotland in its decision to remove the two-child limit on benefits by: Ruth Patrick The fate of children in poverty within the UK is increasingly shaped by where in the country they live. And the gaps in provision are about to get even bigger after the Scottish government’s announcement that it plans to scrap the two-child limit on benefits for Scottish families.
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Nov 13, 2024 | 
theconversation.com | Ruth Patrick
Sometime this autumn, the UK government is expected to publish its to “get Britain working again”. The new administration certainly faces a real challenge linked to high rates of economic inactivity – 2.8 million people are estimated to be out of work as a result of long-term sickness, according to the government’s own figures.
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Oct 23, 2024 | 
heraldscotland.com | Ruth Patrick
Ruth Patrick (Image: Contributed) In the run-up to the UK budget, Labour has been trailing just how perilous the Government’s finances are; seeking to prepare the country for what is expected to be an unpalatable (and unwelcome) combination of tax rises and spending cuts. As part of this, social security has been mentioned as an area where tough decisions may be needed.
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Sep 17, 2024 | 
theguardian.com | Ruth Patrick
This morning, about woke upin households affected by the benefit cap. Lots of these children – enough to fill more than 1,000 primary schools – will be living in cold and damp homes, with food cupboards near empty; in deep poverty that leaves normal childhood activities, such as after-school clubs, swimming lessons and family days out, far out of reach.
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Jul 23, 2024 | 
lbc.co.uk | Ruth Patrick
Forget politics, think families: It's time to scrap two-child limit It's time to scrap the two-child limit, says leader of the largest investigation of the cap's impact on families. Picture: Alamy The two-child limit has been around for over seven years, but it’s taken Starmer’s election of Prime Minister for it to get sustained attention.
