Arun Advani!

I'm feeling rattled by today's announcements as a lucky person within the immigration system, and can't stop thinking how unsettling must it be to have such othering language used and pathways changed before you, when you don't have another country you can return to or resources to draw on.

Acknowledging that I am very lucky and economically privileged - I love the work I get to do here, that I can't do in NZ. 6 years ago, I chose to come to the UK.

But having your pathway to settlement & citizenship changed like this with an unclear bar to meet is v unsettling & v v v expensive.

Plus, the plan has also left me unsure of my own status. Have I met the undisclosed threshold for "contributing to the UK economy and society" to fast track the new 10 year requirement?

The promise of growth, amid a backdrop of rising inflation, soaring rents, utility bills growing and a weak labour market won't boost living standards on it's own

Urgent action is needed from the government to unfreeze housing benefits and ensure our benefits system reflects the cost of essentials

Our @jrf-uk.bsky.social projections show that living standards are set to fall over this parliament without further action from the government to support families' incomes and address costs.

While slightly lower increases than last month, these we are still seeing huge rises in rents that many are struggling to pay.

And with water, council tax, and energy bills set to rise again in April, alongside housing benefits remaining frozen and UC only increasing by 1.7%, it's a dire picture.