Chief Analyst at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation working to solve UK Poverty
Sheffield / York
Joined February 2020
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Peter Matejic retweeted
This morning's @ONS quarterly GDP estimate is the first since the US-Israel war on Iran started.
The conflict has worsened an already troubling living standards outlook.
🏘️ Millions of households are under serious financial pressure.
GDP grew 0.4% in Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2026.
Services (+0.5%) and construction (+0.3%) both grew while production (0.0%) was flat.
Read more ➡️ ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdome…
ALT GDP growth in the UK April to June 2026 GDP up 0.4% Services up 0.5% Production flat 0.0% Construction up 0.3% Publication: GDP first quarterly estimate, UK: April to June 2026
Peter Matejic retweeted
We've just finished hearing from the new Prime Minister @andyburnham about his plans to tackle the social care crisis.
The gap between people's expectations when seeking government support for social care and the reality of how they experience it has grown into a gulf. 🧵
Peter Matejic retweeted
A record number of families are going without the essentials, our research finds. That's 7.4 million households.
New PM Andy Burnham has promised to put tackling the cost of living "front and centre" of his government.
Bold policy choices are needed to make that happen:
Peter Matejic retweeted
Your regular reminder:
Welfare reform is not cuts.
It’s reform to improve support & open up opportunities.
Government attempts to cut disability benefits last year failed because it wasn’t reform. It was just cuts. Would disabled people & push them further from labour market
Peter Matejic retweeted
🚨 NEW!
Our report out today concludes rent controls can ease the pressure on renters, without jeopardising the private rented sector. A rent control could:
- Make renters nearly £1200 a year better off by 2030
- Reduce the housing benefit bill by £600m
Here's how 👇
ALT Cover slide for JRF's 'Ending the rent squeeze' programme of work, with an image of some flats over an oatmeal and pink background with a JRF logo in the bottom left corner
Peter Matejic retweeted
New stats show rents have increased by over 25% in some areas since LHA rates were frozen.
Rent growth recently has been exceptionally high, levels of housing support are inadequate.
The result? Families cover their rent with money meant for food and toiletries.
Peter Matejic retweeted
🏴 Poverty levels in Wales are some of the highest anywhere in the UK, with almost 1 in 3 children growing up in poverty.
This unacceptable situation cannot persist and the next Welsh Government have both an opportunity and a duty to change this. 🔽
Peter Matejic retweeted
⚖️ 'Persistent inequalities are not inevitable'
Senior Policy Adviser @yasminibison highlights ethnic groups in the UK with an elevated risk of being in poverty, and the structural factors behind why this is the case.
Community-led approaches will be key in making a difference.
Peter Matejic retweeted
👣 ‘This is a huge first step, but it can't be the only one’
Our conditional scenarios work for #UKPoverty2026 shows how scrapping the two-child limit is expected to benefit 500k families from April.
But a more comprehensive plan is needed, says Lead Analyst @Sam_Tims 👇
Peter Matejic retweeted
🗣️ 'The government came to power with a commitment to end the need for food banks. This promise really matters.'
Our Principal Policy Adviser @KatieSchmuecker sets out the implications of 6.8 million people living in very deep poverty at the time of the last general election 🔽
Peter Matejic retweeted
📅 Happening soon!
Next Thursday, we'll be hosting a webinar discussing the findings of our upcoming UK Poverty report.
Analysts and practitioners will set out the challenges of poverty in the UK - and how we can reduce it.
Not to be missed! Sign up: bit.ly/3Yx2QAn
ALT Promotional image for a UK Poverty Understanding webinar, featuring an adult pushing a stroller accompanied by a child, set against a graphic of urban and rural landscapes. Event details include the date as Thursday 29th January 2026, from 10:30 am to 12 pm.
Peter Matejic retweeted
🚨 New analysis alert!
Our most recent polling revealed that nearly half of people in Scotland were feeling economically insecure.
They are concerned about being able to afford the cost of everyday essentials - like food and energy.
This has political consequences 🔽
Peter Matejic retweeted
❓ What can we expect from the economic situation in the UK in 2026?
It's a mixed picture, as @chrisbelfield explains, with some relief for low-income households.
Hear his predictions for the year ahead below. 🔽
Peter Matejic retweeted
Children are bearing the brunt of poverty in Northern Ireland.
Too many families face unthinkable choices between feeding their children or keeping their homes warm.
18 months out from the next Assembly election, our Poverty in NI report looks at the action that's needed 🔽
Peter Matejic retweeted
Many of us think that getting and keeping paid work protects us from poverty. But our report today challenges that view.
🔎 The reality for people in Northern Ireland is that too many are held back by low pay and significant barriers to work that keep them trapped in hardship.
Peter Matejic retweeted
Don't miss out on the launch webinar for Poverty in Northern Ireland 2025, happening this Thursday at 10:30am!
📆 With 18 months until the next Assembly election, we'll be revealing the scale of the challenge the Executive needs to address.
Sign up now: bit.ly/4q12D4f
ALT Promotional image for a Zoom event titled 'Poverty in Northern Ireland 2025' hosted by JRF's Northern Ireland team, featuring a person planting a tree with a scenic backdrop of mountains and houses. Event will take place on Thursday 4th December from 10:30am till midday.
Peter Matejic retweeted
Spoke to @theleaduk about how child poverty rates are stratified along racial lines and what govt can do about it.
24% of white children are in poverty, whereas rates are much higher for Bangladeshi (67%), Pakistani (61%), & Black African (49%) children.
substack.com/home/post/p-171…
Peter Matejic retweeted
📊 Latest inflation figures published this morning show that CPI inflation sat at 3.8% for September.
Why does this month's figure matter more?
The government will use it to inform how much to uprate benefits by from April 2026. 🔽
The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 3.8% in the 12 months to September 2025, unchanged from August 2025.
The September, August and July 2025 figures were the joint-highest recorded since January 2024, when the rate was 4.0%.
Read the article ➡️ ons.gov.uk/economy/inflation…
ALT Line chart showing CPIH and CPI annual inflation rates were unchanged in September 2025.