@thomasjlawson.bsky.social
CEO @turn2us fighting #poverty, Chair @efhl_care, gay, he/him, hopeful.
This week, donations to @turn2us.org.uk made Big Give Christmas Challenge will be doubled. You can give families basics like heating, table and chairs to eat at, an oven, or a bed for a child to sleep in.
Donate now this Christmas: donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...
#BigGive #DoubleYourKindness
Looking forward to joining 2,000 cross-sector leaders at #Anthropy26 to explore a brighter vision for Britain.
I will be there from 25-27 March at the Eden Project, Cornwall - Join me!
www.Anthropy.uk
@AnthropyUK
#Anthropy26 #UnitedFuture
Joined friends in the sector at @turn2us.org.uk parliamentary reception. Powerful speeches @lucybannister.bsky.social, @thomasjlawson.bsky.social, @andrewwesternmp.bsky.social @stevedarlingmp.bsky.social, @terryjermymp.bsky.social. Clear tackling stigma in the social security system is essential
11.11.2025 09:02 β π 4 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
It's encouraging to read that the Government is preparing to lift the two-child limit as part of its child poverty strategy, but disheartening that options short of scrapping it entirely are still being considered.
π§΅on why this would be the wrong choice for an ambitious strategy‡οΈ
buff.ly/ZM98Ssx
The two-child limit means that an additional 500,000 children are currently growing up in poverty. If current policies remained in place, we would expect one-in-three British children to be growing up in poverty by the end of the decade
immediate abolition would cost Β£3.5 billion per year and lift half a million children out of poverty by the end of the decade. How do less ambitious options measure up?
Other rumoured options would be less cost effective
and other options would risk creating new cliff edges.
Is there room for compromise on the two-child limit?
Entirely scrapping it would have the biggest impact on child poverty and be most cost-effective.
Photo shows a room with people sitting in rows watching a stage with 5 people discussing as a panel.
Monday at conference was a success! It was great to hear
@andyburnham.bsky.social talk about the importance of dignity, respect and consistency in employment support. Whilst
@amnestyuk.bsky.social ran a fantastic session on the right to social security and telling a positive narrative #Lab25
Packed event at Labour Party Conference, where we put our findings on the impact of stigma to the Minister for Social Security & Disability.
Dehumanising processes are creating a culture of fear. If the government wants more effective employment support, they need to first rebuild trust in DWP.
It was great to speak alongside the Minister for Social Security and Disability.
29.09.2025 07:23 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
This week @turn2us.org.uk released new research with Uni of Bristol, demonstrating how stigma towards claimants has broken our social security system.
Alex's story brings to life how damaging and nonsensical it is to treat people with such suspicion and contempt. This isn't working.
A photo of the departures board at Euston Station showing we are going to Liverpool Lime Street.
Iβm Sam the Policy & PA officer at Turn2us and Iβll be doing a takeover of our BlueSky account for #Lab25
Weβre excited to be heading to Liverpool. Join us later today for our panel event with @thefabians.bsky.social
7PM at The Bluecoat: fabians.org.uk/social-insec...
This Sunday at the Labour Party Conference, we will put our latest research findings and recommendations to Stephen Timms, the Minister for Social Security and Disability.
Join us for a discussion with our panelists Professor Sara Davies, Katherine Sangster and @thomasjlawson.bsky.social
The dominance of energy bills in driving inflation in recent years has meant that poorer households have faced signifcantly higher inflation than richer households.
Lalitha Try explains ‡οΈ
If the Civil Society Covenant is to mean anything, it must mark a reset - the government needs to show it is listening and not sidelining us. @turn2us.org.uk
Read more here: www.civilsociety.co.uk/voices/in-de...
Seven sector leaders - @katieghose.bsky.social, @thomasjlawson.bsky.social, Shabna Begum, Tom Brake, @beccyrspb.bsky.social, @rcquaker.bsky.social & Kathy Evans - share their hopes for the imminent Civil Society Covenant
06.06.2025 09:41 β π 2 π 2 π¬ 0 π 1
Black and orange text on a grey background: Narrative guides supporting fairer conversations about social security. Images show the covers of the two guides.
(3/3) We are calling on journalists and politicians to read and share our new guides and consider how they talk about our social security system.
Read and share our Narrative guides: www.turn2us.org.uk/about-us/new...
Black and orange text on a grey background: βIt makes you feel worthless.β For years, the words used by politicians and the media to discuss social security have shaped public attitudes. Scribbled speech bubble with an unhappy face.
(2/3) In a recent polling half said that feelings of shame and unworthiness would stop them from making a claim at all.
Misleading claims about misuse have dominated the conversation despite fraud accounting for less than 3% of claims, while there are millions struggling to afford the essentials.
Black and orange text on a grey background: We need to change the way we talk about benefits. Two scribbled speech bubbles face each other.
(1/3) If we want to rebuild trust in the system, we need to change the way we talk about benefits.
Most of us will need support from our social security system at some point in our lives.
At its best, social security helps people through these moments, helps them to rebuild.
However...
White and orange text on a black background: Ask your MP to tell the Prime Minister they do NOT support cuts to disability benefits.
Our social security system should be here for all of us when we need it. But the government is proposing harmful cuts to disability benefits.
We need our MPs to speak up. Will you ask your MP to oppose the cuts?
Write to your MP today: win.newmode.net/turn2us/camp...
The government has published no evidence to suggest that cutting disability benefits will get people back to work.
The evidence it has published found that these cuts would plunge hundreds of thousands of people into poverty.
Iβm joining @trusselluk.bsky.social in calling on the govβt to rethink
07.04.2025 17:24 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
The government has published no evidence to suggest that cutting disability benefits will get people back to work.
The evidence it has published found that these cuts would plunge hundreds of thousands of people into poverty.
Iβm joining @trusselluk.bsky.social in calling on the govβt to rethink
A photo of a crate of food at a food bank, with three arrows pointing up on the top. A screenshot from a headline in The Guardian is on top: Millions of Britons brace for across-the-board rises in 'awful April'
π¨ Not an April Fools joke: Household bills are going up by more than inflation (2.8%), while social security support rises by JUST 1.7%.
People are already struggling. More people will be at risk of needing a food bank.
It doesnβt have to be this way. The government CAN change this. #AwfulApril
The Spring Statement was "exactly the wrong way to be making complex policy changes, tweaking policy to hit a precise number in an uncertain and inevitably changeable forecast", writes the Institute for Government's @tompope.bsky.social
29.03.2025 08:00 β π 100 π 45 π¬ 5 π 7
Iβm joining @trusselluk.bsky.social in calling on the government to rethink its cruel, shameful & completely irresponsible plan to cut benefits which will plunge 250,000 people, including 50,000 children into poverty - on its own impact analysis
This is how you can help
youtu.be/XrX4dF3wqt0?...
Stonewall will fight to ban all LGBT conversion practices, says new chief
βI want conversations where we are willing to listen to each other, seek to understand each otherβs views and find ways for everyone to live side by side with dignity and respect.β
If you care about people facing poverty, it'd be great if you sponsored me: I'm running the Hackney Half Marathon for @turn2us.bsky.social
www.justgiving.com/page/thomas-...
Almost one-half of families with children in poverty who are not working contain an adult with a disability or limiting health condition.
Read more in our recent research on child poverty β€΅οΈ buff.ly/hbdiilh
chart showing Share of total population and share threatened with homelessness (owed prevention duty) or homeless (owed relief duty), by ethnicity: England, 2023-24. Those from Black African, Black Caribbean and Arab backgrounds are heavily over-represented in the homeless population
The number of people living in temporary accommodation has reached record levels in the UK.
Those from Black African, Black Caribbean and Arab backgrounds are heavily over-represented in the homeless population.
