Although I agree with the principles of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf_uk ‘work first’ concept, our experiences at @income_max over the last 15 years supporting vulnerable people has helped us to understand that it is about putting LIFE FIRST. Work is a vitally important aspect of life, and is a key way for people to thrive on their own terms. We’ll always support that. The problem is that by making ‘work’ the primary focus of our social security system, it means people are not supported with the many different other elements of life they might be struggling with; e.g. physical and mental health, disabilities, education, skills, family and relationships, housing, raising children, social barriers etc. Vulnerable people are often locked out of employment opportunities because of deep life issues. We’re calling on government to make the UK social security system more personalised, so that people not being adequately served by the universal system can get the EXTRA life help they need to thrive on their own terms. Throughout 2024 we’ll be talking about the three elements of a more personalised social security system that we believe can help more people to thrive. * Life Centres ©️ * Personalised Payments ©️ * Personalised Support ©️ Work has been the primary focus of the social security system since the 1940’s and the Beveridge Report. The world and society we live in today has changed so much since then. It’s time for a new approach to social security - one that is kind, compassionate, caring, supportive and empowering. We need to create a social security system that is free from harm, judgement and pain. A social security system that every UK citizen is proud of. A more personalised system for vulnerable people that need support to thrive on their own terms. The way to do that is to make the primary focus of our social security system LIFE. jrf.org.uk/work/work-first-c…

It’s not UNIVERSAL. It’s PERSONAL. On the way home today I was thinking a lot about the new @TrussellTrust research highlighting that over half of people receiving Universal Credit are unable to afford enough food 👉 trusselltrust.org/2024/02/21… The thing that brought it all home to me was a post from @Helen_Barnard which provided direct quotes from Universal Credit claimants surveyed. Here’s one that really stood out. "Christmas was difficult, I didn't have enough money to buy family presents and I felt horrific guilt. I am in recovery from an eating disorder and constantly worrying about if I can afford enough food. I've considered relapsing as it'd be cheaper." I think we’ve all been missing something - and I do mean ALL of us - government, DWP, anti-poverty charities, the media and society as a whole. It is that the issues faced by people are NOT UNIVERSAL. They are in fact deeply PERSONAL. PERSONAL to the individual trying to live their life - to be OK inside - and desperately trying to cope with issues like stress, shame, guilt, trauma, debilitating health conditions and exclusion. Take the statement at face value for instance. You wouldn’t perhaps be surprised for that statement to be called out by some parts of the media or the public on social media - “Social security isn’t there to buy Christmas presents for family” - perhaps a part of you reading this even thinks that too (no judgement here - we are all human). But we have to dig deeper. GO DEEPER. Those things ARE IMPORTANT. They DO MATTER. It IS personal. I’m supportive of everything anti-poverty campaigners ask for. The essentials guarantee. The continuation of the Household Support Fund. But they are only sticking plasters. We need to go deeper than just surface level on this. It’s about LIFE and what people need to thrive on their own terms. We need to re-imagine social security as a force for good. I believe we need to make the social security system PERSONAL - not UNIVERSAL. * Life Centres ©️ * Personalised Payments ©️ * Personal support ©️ Over the course of 2024 I’ll be talking about these three elements and why I believe they can be the foundation of a kind, compassionate and empowering social security system that supports everyone to thrive on their own terms.