Morgan Bestwick
@morganbestwick.bsky.social
Senior Policy Adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, working on economic security, hardship, employment, job quality. Views my own.
At @jrf-uk.bsky.social, one of the issues we’re currently thinking about is how you can bolster the protections and safety nets available for self-employed people, particularly on low incomes; if you’re working on something similar, please get in touch!
September 8, 2025 at 2:41 PM
At @jrf-uk.bsky.social, one of the issues we’re currently thinking about is how you can bolster the protections and safety nets available for self-employed people, particularly on low incomes; if you’re working on something similar, please get in touch!
Plus, practical recommendations on how the UK could chart a path from UC improvements for the self-employed all the way to a comprehensive employment insurance system for working people
September 8, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Plus, practical recommendations on how the UK could chart a path from UC improvements for the self-employed all the way to a comprehensive employment insurance system for working people
Currently, self-employed people can be put in a really precarious position if they fall ill, losing 81% of their incomes; this report sets out a number of the problems with our current support systems, and what the UK can learn from other countries
September 8, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Currently, self-employed people can be put in a really precarious position if they fall ill, losing 81% of their incomes; this report sets out a number of the problems with our current support systems, and what the UK can learn from other countries
And the confirmation that agency workers are included in new secure work rights is really positive. Previous JRF work shows how essential these new secure work rights will be to ending insecurity for lower-paid workers and tackling hardship www.jrf.org.uk/work/jobs-th...
Jobs that work: Paving the way for good jobs through participatory co-design
We outline the process of our participatory co-design project: lessons learned, key reflections, and how bringing together different forms of expertise has given us a richer understanding of the probl...
www.jrf.org.uk
March 7, 2025 at 11:05 AM
And the confirmation that agency workers are included in new secure work rights is really positive. Previous JRF work shows how essential these new secure work rights will be to ending insecurity for lower-paid workers and tackling hardship www.jrf.org.uk/work/jobs-th...
To build on the foundation of these positive improvements to sick pay, the government should also put in place a process for reviewing the rate of sick pay in the longer term, to make sure it adequately protects workers who need time off for their health.
March 7, 2025 at 11:05 AM
To build on the foundation of these positive improvements to sick pay, the government should also put in place a process for reviewing the rate of sick pay in the longer term, to make sure it adequately protects workers who need time off for their health.
But while these improvements to sick pay are really positive, there are still worries about the group of lower-paid workers who may lose out compared to now if the new lower rate of sick pay is set at whichever is lower - either 80% of your earnings or the SSP rate.
March 7, 2025 at 11:05 AM
But while these improvements to sick pay are really positive, there are still worries about the group of lower-paid workers who may lose out compared to now if the new lower rate of sick pay is set at whichever is lower - either 80% of your earnings or the SSP rate.
For the UK's statutory sick pay system, removing the income threshold that locks out lower earners and abolishing waiting days are essential steps on the way to having a lab mkt that actually enables people to balance work with health needs without having to face hardship or fall out of work.
March 7, 2025 at 11:05 AM
For the UK's statutory sick pay system, removing the income threshold that locks out lower earners and abolishing waiting days are essential steps on the way to having a lab mkt that actually enables people to balance work with health needs without having to face hardship or fall out of work.