Albert Toth

Cost of living crisis laid bare as almost half of Britons ‘have £25 at end of week’ Exclusive: Majority of UK adults forced to make difficult choices, with almost two-thirds found to be cutting back on essentials like food and heating

NEW: More than half of the UK is now cutting back on essentials, as the scale of struggle caused by the cost of living is revealed.

New figures from @costoflivingaction.bsky.social even finds that 40% are left with just £100 at the end of each month.

I cover for @the-independent.com:

Labour MP Stella Creasy told The Independent: “With a million women stuck on benefits because of caring commitments, it’s not a shock to me that many find themselves stuck in a nightmare of poor housing and debt."

Women and single mothers are overrepresented in temporary accommodation, the analysis reveals, at 68 and a massive 33 per cent of all people in these settings.

For many, the financial pressures of childcare and sky-high rents proves too much, but TA is so often unsuitable, unsafe, and out of area.

Number of homeless single mothers soars in rental market Exclusive: More and more women are being ‘pushed towards homelessness’, charity warns

Women are feeling the worst effects of the housing crisis, new analysis by @sheltercharity.bsky.social reveals, especially single mothers.

I cover this and talk to one single mother living in 'hidden homelessness' in this exclusive for @the-independent.com:

UK’s ‘poorest still getting poorer’ as Labour urged to act on millions in poverty Poverty will remain stuck at a high level without change, researchers warn

New: 4.2 million children will still be growing up in poverty by 2029 without action beyond end of two-child UC limit.
I cover @jrf-uk.bsky.social UK Poverty 2026 report for @the-independent.com:

Looking to chat to homeowners today that had defective insulation installed under the botched Energy Company Obligation scheme. If this is you, or someone you know, get in touch (DM or email in bio).

#journorequest

‘Unthinkable’ surge in rough sleeping as housing crisis laid bare Stark new data comes as Labour announces its homelessness strategy

'Britain’s housing crisis continues to deepen as the number of people sleeping rough has increased by 20 per cent in just one year, a new report has revealed.'

I cover Shelter's (@sheltercharity.bsky.social) annual report for @the-independent.com:

Great to see coverage of the 5 week wait in @the-independent.com, highlighting new Citizens Advice analysis of the huge scale of this issue

⚠️800,000 households repaying loans to DWP only needed because of 5 week wait for 1st UC payment

⚠️0.5M+ children growing up in households repaying these loans

Interesting analysis from @chrisgiles.ft.com here

Lime bikes should surely cost by distance, not time, right? Obvious hazard in incentivising cycling as fast as you can, not to mention effective discrimination based on physical ability. Just a commuting thought.

UK must be ready for ‘unprecedented’ heatwaves and flooding, climate experts warn Heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and flooding will all become more regular and intense, experts say

UK must be ready for ‘unprecedented’ heatwaves and flooding, climate experts warn

Heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and flooding will all become more regular and intense, experts say.
@alb-toth.bsky.social

The figures are incredible – people simply don't have enough money to get by in 2025, let alone thrive.

Families in Britain are £20,000 worse off than 20 years ago, report warns Income stagnation over the past two decades is ‘unprecedented in modern times,’ damning new report warns

A staggering report from @resfoundation.bsky.social which I cover for The Independent today. As essentials have risen by as much as 120 per cent, wages on average have gone up just seven. The cost of decades of political inaction
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

“More than 1 in 4 children are living in homes where people are forced to skip or cut back on meals because of financial concerns, as campaigners warn the crisis should ‘shame the government to its core’”

I cover this timely report from @trusselluk.bsky.social for The Independent today:

Benefits misinformation spreads online as millions grapple with cost of living Fake news about changes to household finances is proliferating online

Decided it was finally time to report on a concerning (and annoying) trend

Parents occupy community centre with buggy blockade in protest over cost of childcare Families and youth workers occupy recently closed centre run by Living Under One Sun in Tottenham in protest over lack of affordable childcare and school holiday support

“When the centre closed, I felt like I lost my other home... We won't let them take our community centre.”

The great @taracobham.bsky.social and I report for The Independent:

I looked into David Dinsmore’s CV as he takes up a central role in government👇

The billionaire and the tax evading gift shops Asif Aziz's Criterion Capital manages a row of high-profile shops at Piccadilly Circus. So why does his team keeping renting them to students who vanish without paying millions of pounds in taxes?

He's one of Britain's richest men. So why does Asif Aziz's property company keep leasing London gift shops to overseas students based in abandoned offices or flytipped car parks — before vanishing without paying millions of pounds in taxes? www.londoncentric.media/p/asf-aziz-l...

Liz Kendall to DWP committee just now: "I do not agree that the [Pathways to Work green] paper as a whole somehow lacked consultation with disabled people"

The green paper (the words 'we are not consulting' appear five times):

Nearly 800,000 disabled children stand to lose out from Labour welfare reform Over a million current disability benefit claimants have been left out of Labour’s welfare concessions – and most are children

Over a million current disability benefit claimants have been left out of Labour’s welfare concessions – and most are children
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

‘Trying to claim PIP was awful – Labour still wants to make it harder’ More than half of disabled people who attend a health benefit assessment say they feel humiliated by the process

MPs will vote on Tuesday on whether to make PIP harder to claim for a future generation of disabled people.

For @the-independent.com I spoke to claimants, experts and a former assessor about the uphill battle many already face to get what they're entitled to.
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Have you or someone you know had a troubling experience at a PIP assessment? Would love to hear your story for an article for @the-independent.com.

DM or get in touch: albert.toth@independent.co.uk

All information handled sensitively, and anonymously if desired.

Well deserved. A masterclass in how journalism can bring real justice and change people’s lives for the better

Timely and important. The way we talk about welfare matters - it is one of the first steps to tackle stigma and misinformation. Would encourage everyone - politician / journalist or not - to have a read.

Based on an important survey by @medact.bsky.social with quote from @drabioconnor.bsky.social / @neweconomics.bsky.social. Thanks to them and also renters who spoke to me for the story.

Experts warn of health epidemic sparked by Britain’s housing crisis Exclusive: Doctors and renters tell The Independent how housing issues are worsening health in Britain

Exclusive: A survey of 1000s of health workers finds that the majority believe making rents more affordable would reduce the strain on NHS.

Most also say that they often see children with health problems made worse by insecure housing:
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

…finding out that no one really cared, then being told by the editor to cherry pick quotes that made out like they did.

Much less of that kind of journalism would be good for everyone

When I was a young hopeful journalist fresh out of university I did a stint of work experience for a local paper.

Most of the day was spent going to neighbourhoods where everyone was apparently outraged about something like a new road, or (more worryingly) Travellers etc…

Labour benefit cuts consultation labeled a ‘sham’ as PIP changes not up for debate Campaigners have called the conversation a ‘sham’ as people are invited to discuss only half of the proposals

'The millions of benefit claimants affected by Labour’s planned changes to welfare will soon be able to have their say on the controversial package, but with one crucial catch: they aren’t allowed to talk about the cuts.'

Me for @the-independent.com