Lottie Elton
lottieelton.bsky.social
Lottie Elton
@lottieelton.bsky.social
Big Issue reporter
✉️ lottie.elton@bigissue.com
Today, Keir Starmer told @bigissue.com that a digital ID system could provide a “passport” out of homelessness.

It’s a big ask – and one that’s raised concerns from charities and privacy campaigners.

Read our exclusive interview here ⤵️

www.bigissue.com/news/politic...
Starmer says digital ID scheme will be a 'passport' out of homelessness
In an exclusive interview with the Big Issue, Keir Starmer outlined what he thinks digital ID will mean for people experiencing homelessness.
www.bigissue.com
October 23, 2025 at 5:13 PM
"I wish I could get up one day and have a nice, normal day without no pain. No worries about getting dressed in the morning and money."

Samantha Foster kindly spoke to me for this article on fuel poverty. Scope estimate that disabled people have an extra £1,095 a month in outgoings.
Disabled households face soaring energy bills to power vital medical equipment. Samantha Foster shares the reality of surviving fuel poverty.
Disabled families use foil blankets to keep warm as energy bills keep surging
www.bigissue.com
September 3, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
Big Issue reporter @lottieelton.bsky.social travelled to Chatham, which has seen a rise of Reform UK, to speak to local residents a year after the town was swept up in anti-immigration riots.

Read more: www.bigissue.com/news/politic...
July 31, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
Dad-of-four Mike tells Big Issue how his uses the PIP benefit to pay for the therapy that keeps his depression and suicidal ideation at bay.
PIP literally saved my life. Now I fear Labour's benefit cuts will take it all away
www.bigissue.com
June 18, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
Millions of Brits lined the streets to clap for NHS and key workers during the Covid pandemic 👏 👏 👏

But what happened when the clapping stopped? Big Issue spoke to @jahangiralom.bsky.social @bma.org.uk and other experts to dig into the detail ⬇️

buff.ly/ASnIn0g
March 24, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
Disabled people have urged the government to fund “welfare not warfare,” after the chancellor confirmed plans for benefits cuts alongside an uptick in defence spending at the Spring Statement. 🚫 💷

Advocates have warned that the “cruel” cuts will harm the most vulnerable. ⬇️
buff.ly/ptK7c9O
March 26, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
Excellent piece from @lottieelton.bsky.social on what the £15 billion a windfall tax on bank profits could pay for.

From reinstating the universal winter fuel allowance, 15 times over, to putting the entire cabinet up in a luxury hotel for 67 years 🏨 ⤵️
www.bigissue.com/news/social-...
How a windfall tax on record bank profits could help fix Britain
A windfall tax on the record profits of Britain’s biggest banks could bring in nearly £15bn for the public purse, new analysis suggests.
www.bigissue.com
March 17, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
Working from home vital for disabled people to keep a job, DWP told ahead of benefit cuts
Working from home vital for disabled people to keep a job, DWP told
A staggering 80% of disabled people in fully remote jobs told researchers that WFH had a “positive impact” on managing their health.
buff.ly
March 13, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
“Sticking our heads in the sand and pretending that oil and gas jobs aren’t already declining won’t help anyone.”

What does the future hold for the North Sea and its communities? We spoke to experts from @green-alliance.org.uk , @eciu.net , @ippr.bsky.social and Uplift 🛢️ 💨 🌏

buff.ly/eWmg8m3
March 12, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
NEW: 'love may feel elusive, but it is there for us – it is around us'

heartbroken? it's probably capitalism's fault, says author shon faye. thoroughly enjoyed this piece on why so many feel like romantic failures, by @lottieelton.bsky.social for @bigissue.com 👇

www.bigissue.com/culture/book...
Author Shon Faye explains why so many of us feel like 'failures in love'
“We ache for love, but love eludes us,” says Shon Faye. In her new book Love in Exile, she asks why so many of us feel like romantic failures.
www.bigissue.com
February 10, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
"98% percent of the population is estimated to be at crisis levels of food insecurity. The main driver of this is access constraints."

The IRC's Bart Witteveen describes the hunger crisis in Gaza in @bigissue.com. @lottieelton.bsky.social reports: www.bigissue.com/news/gaza-ce...
As calls for a ceasefire grow even louder – what's next for Gaza?
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows, pressure on governments to push for meaningful solutions must be upheld.
www.bigissue.com
January 14, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
The sale of Royal Mail’s parent company to a Czech billionaire has been approved by the government, ending more than 500 years of public ownership. 💼

Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group will buy the postal service’s parent company as part of a £3.6bn deal. 💷
https://buff.ly/49Hg5Db
December 16, 2024 at 3:13 PM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
You got a cheeky takeaway - now you’re staring at the empty pizza box, feeling vaguely guilty about the gig economy 🍕

We’ve all been there. But it doesn’t have to be this way, a radical new Autonomy Institute report insists ⬇️

https://buff.ly/3ZSO1cA
December 13, 2024 at 3:13 PM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
Street performers face licensing nightmares, threatening their art and our public spaces. 🎤 🎶

Advocates are calling for the protection of buskers to keep the streets alive. Learn more. ⬇️
https://buff.ly/4gwTfQZ
December 14, 2024 at 3:13 PM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
“My dad said I could come back if I took it back, saying that I was a lesbian. It was a mad time. But I’m not embarrassed about [living in my car]. It had to be done. Somehow, I knew I would be OK.” ❤️

Big Issue speaks to OneDa about her deeply personal debut record. ⬇️
https://buff.ly/41zJOMk
December 16, 2024 at 1:13 PM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
"Christmas is out, as far as I’m concerned."

Labour's winter fuel allowance cuts mean Carole won't be celebrating the festive season this year 🎄🚫 Charities have called for the "cruel" cut to be reversed ⤵️

@lottieelton.bsky.social reports

www.bigissue.com/news/politic...
December 2, 2024 at 1:32 PM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
I write a newsletter every week!

Tomorrow’s will feature families in the north east who are fighting back against poverty.

And it will also answer burning questions you have on why Christmas turkeys are so expensive this year 🦃

Sign up here!

www.bigissue.com/news/social-....
Sign up to Survival Guide: The Big Issue's cost of living newsletter with human stories at the heart
The Big Issue's cost of living newsletter Survival Guide is here to tell your stories, fight for change and provide hope
www.bigissue.com
November 20, 2024 at 6:02 PM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
UK inflation hit 2.3% in the year to October, the Office for National Statistics has revealed – a bigger-than-expected increase from 1.7% in September. 📈

Experts have warned that the latest inflation surge will hit working families the hardest. ⬇️
www.bigissue.com/news/politic...
November 20, 2024 at 7:20 PM
“We hear the phrase ‘wild west’ a bit. But I think the people who call it a wild west are the ones whose interests it would be for it to be."

Great to chat to Information Commissioner John Edwards last week about our evolving privacy rights in the age of social media and AI ⬇️
As the Information Commissioner's Office celebrates its 40th anniversary, the watchdog also brings a warning for big tech. 💻

Information Commissioner John Edwards tells the Big Issue why they're “keeping an eye” on the race for territory in AI products.
www.bigissue.com/news/politic...
November 19, 2024 at 5:20 PM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
Follow the journalists, editors, and regular contributors that make the Big Issue — bringing you the latest news across social affairs, politics and culture. 👋

👉 go.bsky.app/AzhztsB
November 18, 2024 at 10:26 AM
Reposted by Lottie Elton
‘what’s important is not allowing private firms alone to decide the direction of this change’

millions of cuts or higher wages and a four-day work week? the impact of artificial intelligence on the job market is… complicated, experts told @lottieelton.bsky.social 👇

www.bigissue.com/news/employm...
The impact of AI on the job market is complicated
AI could lead to millions of job losses – or a four-day work week and higher wages. It depends on what policies we pursue now, experts say.
www.bigissue.com
November 16, 2024 at 10:16 AM