UK social security commentators
Think tankers, academics, campaigners & charity folk offering useful insights, analysis & opinions on the benefits system, employment and poverty
Created by
@pollardtom.bsky.social
@catherinehale.bsky.social
Independent research and policy consultant on disability employment and social security. Founder, Chronic Illness Inclusion. #pwME and survivor of medical abuse. Mum of 2 teenagers.
@rodhick.bsky.social
Professor of Social Policy at Cardiff University. Poverty | social security | work | housing. Irishman abroad. www.rodhick.com
@ferrinfo.bsky.social
CEO of Ferret Information Systems - benefits advice systems and training specialists. Blogs with boring numbers at https://benefitsinthefuture.com/. Models the effects of tax and benefits systems. Waves a sword in 17c reenactments.
@adamscorer.bsky.social
CEO at National Energy Action. Energy. Poverty. Housing. Lurks on social media.
@charlierad.bsky.social
Advocates for those injured in military + disabled folk, helping lay people engage with the law, founder http://veteranlawproject.org.uk, Living Options Devon trustee, war pensions + AFCS, spinal cord injury, not a lawyer, manage land & forestry, Dartmoor
@csfoot.bsky.social
Advocating for a fairer social contract around work, pensions and retirement. Director of UK think tank Phoenix Insights https://catherinefoot.substack.com/ https://www.thephoenixgroup.com/phoenix-insights/
@emilyishness.bsky.social
Working towards fair access to work for people in their 50s and 60s @ Ageing Better. Ex-IfG, very ex-teacher. PhD Victorian dementia. Likes charts AND poems.
@epybus.bsky.social
social policy - social justice, social security, land reform, poverty, climate change, global justice, housing...and more...mostly here to listen...plus chess ♟, house plants 🪴, woodland crofts 🌲, music 🎶, and occasional macrame 🧶.
@gmari.bsky.social
Sociologist @Erasmus University Rotterdam Children, care, social security https://sites.google.com/view/marigabriele/home
@simplicitly.bsky.social
Full Time Carer, Social Housing Tenant, part-time-blogger, videogame player, often ruinously sarcastic https://simplicitly.wordpress.com/
@ruthhannan.bsky.social
One half of Care Full with Hannah Webster. Formally, RSA, People’s Powerhouse & Carers Trust
@paulspicker.bsky.social
Paul is Emeritus Professor of Public Policy at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. He mainly writes on poverty, benefits, social justice and social policy.
@danpaskins.bsky.social
Save the Children UK Exec Director, Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns Vice-Chair, End Child Poverty Chair, Civic Power Fund
@paulietandoori.bsky.social
Information and advice seasoned traveller, know a bit about social security, social care and socialising. Love cycling, love/hate football, hate fascists.
@shrinkatlarge.bsky.social
Consultant clinical psychologist/ activist/ neuroqueer bluestocking. Former Lived Experience Practitioner. Future failed poet. Will question ideology for cake. 💜🎭🦓🥄🏳️🌈 #MadSky #TraumaNotPD #Disability #Neurodivergent #Mad https://t.co/83d2Ztwpp2
@morganvine.bsky.social
Passionate about Angela Lansbury, ABBA, cake & expressing personal opinions. Director of Policy & Influencing @IndependentAge & Trustee @AgeUKBandG @CentreforMH
@profjanegreen.bsky.social
Nuffield College, Oxford Co-Director, British Election Study Director, Nuffield Politics Research Centre President, British Polling Council Voting, surveys, explanation, singing …
@ruthboyler.bsky.social
Working on poverty in Scotland at the Poverty Alliance | Trustee at SPFLTrust | Fan of cats, books and Celtic | All opinions are my own
@drtomdog.bsky.social
Associate Professor of Political Science, UCL. Studying political economy, welfare reforms, public opinion, European and British politics. He/him 🏳️🌈
@stefbenstead.bsky.social
Christian interested in socio-economic justice. Chronically ill with hEDS, PoTS, fibro/Small Fibre Neuropathy. Independent (unpaid) researcher in chronic illness and social policy. Books: Second Class Citizens; Just Worship.
@kmjones.bsky.social
Editor at Rightsnet | Advised on social security since 2010 | Life experience includes poverty & parenthood | Love reading stories, enjoy little adventures & genuinely curious about how aaaaanything works
@annadent.bsky.social
Research and policy adviser - www.abdconsultancy.co.uk Futures of work & employment support, digital welfare state, ethical tech and AI etc. Fellow https://connectedbydata.org/, associate https://rocketsciencelab.co.uk/
@zubhaque.bsky.social
Former Deputy Director and Head of Research at Women’s Budget Group. Former CEO The Equality Trust; Deputy Director of The Runnymede Trust. Member of Independent SAGE. Worked in government and think tanks. Views my own
@kittyjstewart.bsky.social
Professor of Social Policy, LSE. Associate Director, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE)
@maxmosley.bsky.social
Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation and Labour Councillor for Brentford East
@wstronge.bsky.social
Director of @autonomy-institute.bsky.social Website: autonomy.work Co-author, with Helen Hester, of Post-work (2025) and, with Kyle Lewis, of Overtime (2021) https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/postwork-9781350089976/
@tommacinnes.bsky.social
Interim Director of Policy, Citizens Advice. Policy stuff, data, graphs, that kind of thing.
@helenbarnard.bsky.social
Director of Policy, Research, Impact, TrussellTrust Trustee NatCen. Former JRF & Pro Bono Economics. Author: Want (Giants: A New Beveridge Report) http://amzn.eu/d/hk1ojO6
@henryippr.bsky.social
@lukeraikes.bsky.social
Deputy General Secretary at the Fabian Society | regional economies, devolution, productivity, industrial strategy, employment rights, employment support, transport, politics | Views are my own | 🏴 https://fabians.org.uk/about-us/meet-our-experts/
@mckeevergrainne.bsky.social
Law Professor at Ulster Uni, Belfast. Co-Editor of Journal of Social Security Law. Former Vice-Chair of Social Security Advisory Committee. Writing a book on 'Legal participation for litigants in person: protecting the right to a fair trial.'
@mikebrewerecon.bsky.social
Deputy Chief Executive Resolution Foundation & Visiting Prof in Practice at LSE Social Policy. 'Calm, Measured, Withering' http://tinyurl.com/y6wxlxhj). He/him
@andrewphillips.bsky.social
Policy and Research Manager at Phoenix Insights, focusing on employment, skills and labour market. Previously worked at Demos (@demos-uk.bsky.social) and Institute for Government. Views my own. www.thephoenixgroup.com/phoenix-insights
@carriswann.bsky.social
Welfare rights/social security at @cpaguk.bsky.social. Posting in a personal capacity. Repost ≠ endorsement 📍Nottingham
@benbgeiger.bsky.social
Social policy researcher (though sometimes pretends to be a philosopher), Prof co-leading WelfareExperiences project and kcl.ac.uk/csmh work & welfare strand. Was at @BenBaumberg at the other place.
@rebeccaflorisson.bsky.social
Principal Analyst at the Work Foundation and part- time PhD at Queen Mary Uni of London. Insecure work, labour markets, data. Opinions my own.
@stephenevans.bsky.social
Chief Executive, Learning and Work Institute. Ex HMT, SMF and London government. Learning, skills, labour markets & public policy. Views my own.
@craigpberry.bsky.social
Welfare policy manager, Citizens Advice (he/him). Additionally: Associate at @bennettinstitute.bsky.social | Author of The Political Economy Blog: https://craigberry.substack.com
@greyskiesthinking.bsky.social
Research, analysis & grey-skies thinking on labour markets, social security, public finance & equality. Usual disclaimer. @declangaffney@mstdn.social. 🇮🇪 Profile pic is Takashi Shimura with Toshiro oMifune in Stray Dog (Akira Kurosawa, 1949).
@ceridwenhughes.bsky.social
Research Fellow at the Work and Equalities Institute, University of Manchester. PhD at CASE, LSE. Researching activation & the negotiation of work-related conditionality in the UK; as well as the perils and potential of local decent work initiatives
@rachelleearwaker.bsky.social
Former Senior Economist at JRF, Kiwi in London, bearer of grim statistics but hopeful they will become less grim. Ex New Zealand Treasury. Likely talking about housing, poverty, living standards, and how economic conditions actually impact people's lives.
@alexclegg.bsky.social
Economist at the Resolution Foundation, focusing on social security, poverty and living standards
@tcstephens.bsky.social
Fellow, LSE School of Public Policy | Associate Fellow @neweconomics.bsky.social | PhD from @lsesocialpolicy.bsky.social | Fmr Jobs/Ed Lead @ Brent Council | Worked on infected blood w/ @damedianajohnson.bsky.social
@jelliott94.bsky.social
Lead analyst at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf-uk.bsky.social Posting about politics, poverty, housing, benefits and work. Northern Irish, views my own.
@cdbirt.bsky.social
Associate Director for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
@katyjones.bsky.social
Reader (Associate Prof) in Employment, Head of the Decent Work and Productivity Research Centre at Manchester Met University
@katesummers.bsky.social
Qualitative social policy researcher working on social security policy and economic inequality. British Academy postdoc @ London School of Economics Methodology.
@sabinegoodwin.bsky.social
Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) Director | Anti-poverty campaigner advocating for #cashfirst solutions to food insecurity to end the need for charitable food aid | Latest opinion pieces for @bigissue.com: https://www.bigissue.com/tag/sabine-goodwin/
@katieschmuecker.bsky.social
Principal Policy Adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation - UK poverty, social policy, politics, research and data. Occasionally crochet, gigs and nature
@statspeter.bsky.social
Chief Analyst, Insights and Analysis, at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation working to solve UK Poverty
@peterwhiteford.bsky.social
Interested in most aspects of social policy in Australia & internationally (also certain literary genres and restricted musical choices); also history (art too) ANU, Canberra crawford.anu.edu.au/crawford_peopl…
@gavin-kelly.bsky.social
Chief Executive, Nuffield Foundation Previous lives: Chief Executive & Exec. Chair, Resolution Foundation Founding Chair, Living Wage Commission Deputy Chief of Staff, 10 Downing Street Council of Economic Advisors, HMT
@nyecominetti.bsky.social
At Resolution Foundation covering labour market, low pay, living wage.
@tom-clark.bsky.social
Contributing Editor at Prospect Magazine; Principal Editor at Resolution Foundation
@lalithatry.bsky.social
Economist at the Resolution Foundation working on improving living standards and reducing poverty
@louisemurphy.bsky.social
Senior Economist at the Resolution Foundation, focusing on employment, young people and health | views my own
@paulkissack.bsky.social
Group Chief Executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT). Former Government civil servant. Manxman now living in North Yorkshire.
@alfie-stirling.bsky.social
Director of Insight & Policy and Chief Economist at JRF | previously NEF & IPPR | "all models are wrong, but some are useful" (G Box)
@sam-tims.bsky.social
Lead analyst at JRF researching and posting on social security, tax, the cost of living and other things too. Previously NEF, policy in Practice
@pollardtom.bsky.social
Head of Social Policy at NEF | Previously at Mind & DWP | Particular focus on mental health, poverty & social security | NHS Mental Health Social Worker