Tom Pollard
@pollardtom.bsky.social
Head of Policy, Campaigns & Public Affairs at Mind | NHS Mental Health Social Worker | Previously at NEF & DWP | Views expressed here my own
.@mind.org.uk's response to Reform's proposals to "cut PIP payments to people with anxiety" in this BBC News
piece: bbc.co.uk/news/article...
So much of the political debate around PIP betrays a complete lack of understanding of what the benefit is for, who gets it & how it's assessed
piece: bbc.co.uk/news/article...
So much of the political debate around PIP betrays a complete lack of understanding of what the benefit is for, who gets it & how it's assessed
October 29, 2025 at 5:13 PM
.@mind.org.uk's response to Reform's proposals to "cut PIP payments to people with anxiety" in this BBC News
piece: bbc.co.uk/news/article...
So much of the political debate around PIP betrays a complete lack of understanding of what the benefit is for, who gets it & how it's assessed
piece: bbc.co.uk/news/article...
So much of the political debate around PIP betrays a complete lack of understanding of what the benefit is for, who gets it & how it's assessed
PIP is assessed based on the impact of health problems & disabilities (often multiple & complex) on someone's ability to live independently
Saying "we'll stop PIP for people with anxiety" just bears no relation to the reality of how the benefit operates www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10...
Saying "we'll stop PIP for people with anxiety" just bears no relation to the reality of how the benefit operates www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10...
October 29, 2025 at 10:15 AM
PIP is assessed based on the impact of health problems & disabilities (often multiple & complex) on someone's ability to live independently
Saying "we'll stop PIP for people with anxiety" just bears no relation to the reality of how the benefit operates www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10...
Saying "we'll stop PIP for people with anxiety" just bears no relation to the reality of how the benefit operates www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10...
New @trusselluk.bsky.social data shows millions more people experiencing food insecurity than two years earlier
If we want to understand the rising prevalence of mental health problems, we should start with the rocketing numbers of households facing inadequate social & economic circumstances
If we want to understand the rising prevalence of mental health problems, we should start with the rocketing numbers of households facing inadequate social & economic circumstances
September 10, 2025 at 1:48 PM
New @trusselluk.bsky.social data shows millions more people experiencing food insecurity than two years earlier
If we want to understand the rising prevalence of mental health problems, we should start with the rocketing numbers of households facing inadequate social & economic circumstances
If we want to understand the rising prevalence of mental health problems, we should start with the rocketing numbers of households facing inadequate social & economic circumstances
With just one pass at reaching out to a cohort of 800 residents over a four week period, we were able to engage 10% with a support conversation, of which over 40% agreed to an onward referral to employment support. We identified many opportunities to improve on these numbers 2/3
August 29, 2025 at 8:00 AM
With just one pass at reaching out to a cohort of 800 residents over a four week period, we were able to engage 10% with a support conversation, of which over 40% agreed to an onward referral to employment support. We identified many opportunities to improve on these numbers 2/3
My final piece of work for @neweconomics.bsky.social was a collaboration with Camden Council & a brilliant team of staff there
We ran a test & learn pilot to explore how to increase voluntary engagement with employment support among ill & disabled residents 1/3
We ran a test & learn pilot to explore how to increase voluntary engagement with employment support among ill & disabled residents 1/3
August 29, 2025 at 8:00 AM
My final piece of work for @neweconomics.bsky.social was a collaboration with Camden Council & a brilliant team of staff there
We ran a test & learn pilot to explore how to increase voluntary engagement with employment support among ill & disabled residents 1/3
We ran a test & learn pilot to explore how to increase voluntary engagement with employment support among ill & disabled residents 1/3
Why shouldn't someone assessed by DWP as too unwell to work & facing significant extra costs due to disabilities & poor health receive state support at least around the rate of a minimum wage salary?
I spoke to Ian Collins on TalkTV earlier about (misleading) reports today on this subject
I spoke to Ian Collins on TalkTV earlier about (misleading) reports today on this subject
July 10, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Why shouldn't someone assessed by DWP as too unwell to work & facing significant extra costs due to disabilities & poor health receive state support at least around the rate of a minimum wage salary?
I spoke to Ian Collins on TalkTV earlier about (misleading) reports today on this subject
I spoke to Ian Collins on TalkTV earlier about (misleading) reports today on this subject
It seems completely reasonable to me that someone who has been assessed by DWP as being unable to work due to disabilities/poor health & as facing significant health/disability related extra costs should be supported by the government to have an income around the level of a minimum wage salary 1/2
July 10, 2025 at 7:58 AM
It seems completely reasonable to me that someone who has been assessed by DWP as being unable to work due to disabilities/poor health & as facing significant health/disability related extra costs should be supported by the government to have an income around the level of a minimum wage salary 1/2
The updated poverty impact assessment for the disability benefits cuts once again offsets the impact of not proceeding with the previous government's proposed changes to the WCA
The impact of actual changes happening in the real world is likely to be closer to 250k people pushed into poverty
The impact of actual changes happening in the real world is likely to be closer to 250k people pushed into poverty
June 30, 2025 at 11:55 AM
The updated poverty impact assessment for the disability benefits cuts once again offsets the impact of not proceeding with the previous government's proposed changes to the WCA
The impact of actual changes happening in the real world is likely to be closer to 250k people pushed into poverty
The impact of actual changes happening in the real world is likely to be closer to 250k people pushed into poverty
Now that the focus is on future PIP claims rather than those currently on the benefit, it's worth highlighting that the proposed assessment change is due to have a much greater impact on the proportion of people from this group who will miss out on support by 2029-30 as a result
June 27, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Now that the focus is on future PIP claims rather than those currently on the benefit, it's worth highlighting that the proposed assessment change is due to have a much greater impact on the proportion of people from this group who will miss out on support by 2029-30 as a result
I'm not sure "if you think about it, cuts to disabled people's benefits are basically the same kind of thing as minimum wage rises & free school meals" is a line that's really going to fly
(from today's London Playbook)
(from today's London Playbook)
June 26, 2025 at 7:49 AM
I'm not sure "if you think about it, cuts to disabled people's benefits are basically the same kind of thing as minimum wage rises & free school meals" is a line that's really going to fly
(from today's London Playbook)
(from today's London Playbook)
Similarly, the widely reported figure that 250k people will be pushed into poverty also understates the real impact
@neweconomics.bsky.social analysis suggests this is likely to be closer to 340k people. @cjayanetti.bsky.social has reported that another 700k people already in poverty will be hit
@neweconomics.bsky.social analysis suggests this is likely to be closer to 340k people. @cjayanetti.bsky.social has reported that another 700k people already in poverty will be hit
June 18, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Similarly, the widely reported figure that 250k people will be pushed into poverty also understates the real impact
@neweconomics.bsky.social analysis suggests this is likely to be closer to 340k people. @cjayanetti.bsky.social has reported that another 700k people already in poverty will be hit
@neweconomics.bsky.social analysis suggests this is likely to be closer to 340k people. @cjayanetti.bsky.social has reported that another 700k people already in poverty will be hit
The government's '£5bn of savings' figure has been widely reported as the scale of benefit cuts for ill & disabled people
But this figure offsets the impact of not proceeding with proposals from the previous government. In reality, ill & disabled people will see £6.7bn of cuts
But this figure offsets the impact of not proceeding with proposals from the previous government. In reality, ill & disabled people will see £6.7bn of cuts
June 18, 2025 at 1:51 PM
The government's '£5bn of savings' figure has been widely reported as the scale of benefit cuts for ill & disabled people
But this figure offsets the impact of not proceeding with proposals from the previous government. In reality, ill & disabled people will see £6.7bn of cuts
But this figure offsets the impact of not proceeding with proposals from the previous government. In reality, ill & disabled people will see £6.7bn of cuts
This is completely incoherent from David Blunkett's piece in the Sun arguing to retain the two-child limit on benefits
He acknowledges there's no evidence it's affected birth rates, but then says it "must be certain" that not having it would increase birth rates 🤔 www.thesun.co.uk/news/3520173...
He acknowledges there's no evidence it's affected birth rates, but then says it "must be certain" that not having it would increase birth rates 🤔 www.thesun.co.uk/news/3520173...
June 1, 2025 at 7:59 PM
This is completely incoherent from David Blunkett's piece in the Sun arguing to retain the two-child limit on benefits
He acknowledges there's no evidence it's affected birth rates, but then says it "must be certain" that not having it would increase birth rates 🤔 www.thesun.co.uk/news/3520173...
He acknowledges there's no evidence it's affected birth rates, but then says it "must be certain" that not having it would increase birth rates 🤔 www.thesun.co.uk/news/3520173...
Important work by @resfoundation.bsky.social's @alexclegg.bsky.social & @adamcorlett.bsky.social
Compromise options short of scrapping the two-child limit will be less impactful & less cost effective. I suspect it would also be some of the poorest families who are left adrift by these half-measures
Compromise options short of scrapping the two-child limit will be less impactful & less cost effective. I suspect it would also be some of the poorest families who are left adrift by these half-measures
May 19, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Important work by @resfoundation.bsky.social's @alexclegg.bsky.social & @adamcorlett.bsky.social
Compromise options short of scrapping the two-child limit will be less impactful & less cost effective. I suspect it would also be some of the poorest families who are left adrift by these half-measures
Compromise options short of scrapping the two-child limit will be less impactful & less cost effective. I suspect it would also be some of the poorest families who are left adrift by these half-measures
This is the critical section. It's true that it's currently seen as more credible to expect returns from physical & intellectual assets, & that 'propping up' living standards is seen as a fiscal black hole. But it's the job of progressive government to challenge that narrative /2
May 15, 2025 at 4:06 PM
This is the critical section. It's true that it's currently seen as more credible to expect returns from physical & intellectual assets, & that 'propping up' living standards is seen as a fiscal black hole. But it's the job of progressive government to challenge that narrative /2
Great to see @andyburnham.bsky.social addressing a packed Friends' Meeting House of Greater Manchester residents, giving his backing to the campaign for a Living Income pilot in the city region
May 13, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Great to see @andyburnham.bsky.social addressing a packed Friends' Meeting House of Greater Manchester residents, giving his backing to the campaign for a Living Income pilot in the city region
New DWP research gives a clearer picture of why PIP claims have been rising than government & media rhetoric about the need for cuts
People with complex poor health, driven in part by financial hardship to seek additional support to meet their basic costs www.gov.uk/government/p...
People with complex poor health, driven in part by financial hardship to seek additional support to meet their basic costs www.gov.uk/government/p...
May 12, 2025 at 7:46 AM
New DWP research gives a clearer picture of why PIP claims have been rising than government & media rhetoric about the need for cuts
People with complex poor health, driven in part by financial hardship to seek additional support to meet their basic costs www.gov.uk/government/p...
People with complex poor health, driven in part by financial hardship to seek additional support to meet their basic costs www.gov.uk/government/p...
Finally, higher claims are likely the result of both rising rates of disability & greater financial insecurity among this group. Many more people report a disability than claim PIP but the cost of living crisis & inadequacy of other benefits will have driven more to claim /6
April 28, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Finally, higher claims are likely the result of both rising rates of disability & greater financial insecurity among this group. Many more people report a disability than claim PIP but the cost of living crisis & inadequacy of other benefits will have driven more to claim /6
I spoke to Chris Smyth for this Times piece on the rising numbers of people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for anxiety & depression (link to the article at the end of this thread)
Here are the five key things we need to consider to understand this trend... 🧵
Here are the five key things we need to consider to understand this trend... 🧵
April 28, 2025 at 8:34 AM
I spoke to Chris Smyth for this Times piece on the rising numbers of people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for anxiety & depression (link to the article at the end of this thread)
Here are the five key things we need to consider to understand this trend... 🧵
Here are the five key things we need to consider to understand this trend... 🧵
As well as cutting health & disability benefits, the government plans to introduce conditionality for many people currently exempt from it
I explained to the Work & Pensions Select Committee yesterday that NEF's work shows this won't be an effective way to engage this group with employment support
I explained to the Work & Pensions Select Committee yesterday that NEF's work shows this won't be an effective way to engage this group with employment support
April 23, 2025 at 7:53 AM
As well as cutting health & disability benefits, the government plans to introduce conditionality for many people currently exempt from it
I explained to the Work & Pensions Select Committee yesterday that NEF's work shows this won't be an effective way to engage this group with employment support
I explained to the Work & Pensions Select Committee yesterday that NEF's work shows this won't be an effective way to engage this group with employment support
The poverty impact is harder to estimate because the figures are rounded to the nearest 50,000 & the two key measures will impact some of the same people, but we believe the cumulative impact is likely to be around 340,000 additional people pushed into poverty by 2029-30 6/8
March 31, 2025 at 4:01 PM
The poverty impact is harder to estimate because the figures are rounded to the nearest 50,000 & the two key measures will impact some of the same people, but we believe the cumulative impact is likely to be around 340,000 additional people pushed into poverty by 2029-30 6/8
Rejecting this accounting trick allows us to gain a clearer picture of the scale of cuts to benefits for ill & disabled people
Taking the impact of the two key cuts & offsetting the increase to the basic rate of UC, we believe the true scale will be £6.7bn a year by 2029-30 5/8
Taking the impact of the two key cuts & offsetting the increase to the basic rate of UC, we believe the true scale will be £6.7bn a year by 2029-30 5/8
March 31, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Rejecting this accounting trick allows us to gain a clearer picture of the scale of cuts to benefits for ill & disabled people
Taking the impact of the two key cuts & offsetting the increase to the basic rate of UC, we believe the true scale will be £6.7bn a year by 2029-30 5/8
Taking the impact of the two key cuts & offsetting the increase to the basic rate of UC, we believe the true scale will be £6.7bn a year by 2029-30 5/8
However, this allowed the government to claim they were effectively spending £1.6bn & lifting 150,000 people out of poverty by not implementing these proposed changes, which hadn’t even got past an initial consultation
We agree with the @resfoundation.bsky.social response to this 4/8
We agree with the @resfoundation.bsky.social response to this 4/8
![Screenshot of a quote from the Resolution Foundation: “In strict scorecard terms, this is the correct approach, but as it represents the cancellation of a never-implemented cut, it will never be felt as a positive impact by households and we do not consider it further [in our analysis].”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:625rhhjaory6tkeze6q7ko5d/bafkreidruw2tdlcfjwzqivmhhrtpjh7x7yc4f7qsfv4z7xsjqu3j6ebecu@jpeg)
March 31, 2025 at 4:01 PM
However, this allowed the government to claim they were effectively spending £1.6bn & lifting 150,000 people out of poverty by not implementing these proposed changes, which hadn’t even got past an initial consultation
We agree with the @resfoundation.bsky.social response to this 4/8
We agree with the @resfoundation.bsky.social response to this 4/8
There was rightly concern last week when OBR & DWP documents revealed that £4.8bn of cuts to benefits for ill & disabled people would push 250k people into poverty, including 50k children
But @neweconomics.bsky.social analysis suggests the true scale & impact of these cuts will be even greater... 🧵
But @neweconomics.bsky.social analysis suggests the true scale & impact of these cuts will be even greater... 🧵
March 31, 2025 at 4:01 PM
There was rightly concern last week when OBR & DWP documents revealed that £4.8bn of cuts to benefits for ill & disabled people would push 250k people into poverty, including 50k children
But @neweconomics.bsky.social analysis suggests the true scale & impact of these cuts will be even greater... 🧵
But @neweconomics.bsky.social analysis suggests the true scale & impact of these cuts will be even greater... 🧵
A phantom policy from the previous government is distorting the spreadsheets on the scale & impact of benefit cuts for ill & disabled people
In the real world, we're looking at £6.8bn of cuts to benefits for this group & around 350k people pushed into poverty - here's why... 🧵
In the real world, we're looking at £6.8bn of cuts to benefits for this group & around 350k people pushed into poverty - here's why... 🧵
March 27, 2025 at 10:13 AM
A phantom policy from the previous government is distorting the spreadsheets on the scale & impact of benefit cuts for ill & disabled people
In the real world, we're looking at £6.8bn of cuts to benefits for this group & around 350k people pushed into poverty - here's why... 🧵
In the real world, we're looking at £6.8bn of cuts to benefits for this group & around 350k people pushed into poverty - here's why... 🧵