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Sarah Hadfield

@drsarahhadfield

Policy Researcher at Citizens Advice. Also, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drhadfield/ (I don't post on twitter/x).

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15.07.2025
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Latest posts by Sarah Hadfield @drsarahhadfield

Limited Access to Work: How the Access to Work scheme could better fulfill its potential Evidence and insights from Citizens Advice, highlighting three key ways the Access to Work scheme could be improved to better support disabled people to work.

Access to Work isn’t meeting its BIG potential! 🧡

New report out now: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...

05.03.2026 14:13 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1
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Bye bye books! All profits (minus postage) are going to @braintumourrsch.bsky.social - Please give them a Google to see what you think they are worth Β£ and decide how much you would want to pay! Also, sorry if you wrote one of these; it served me well at the time! #phdchat

01.02.2026 14:45 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Lovely- do you do the colour first then put the pen over?

22.01.2026 13:14 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Front cover of report available at https://assets.ctfassets.net/mfz4nbgura3g/7wu3LoA0AQwqvYQVfCiuQd/fb1919402e1775afa23d00cdd8d92e8c/Unemployment_Insurance_report_final_090126__1_.pdf

Front cover of report available at https://assets.ctfassets.net/mfz4nbgura3g/7wu3LoA0AQwqvYQVfCiuQd/fb1919402e1775afa23d00cdd8d92e8c/Unemployment_Insurance_report_final_090126__1_.pdf

The government wants to enhance contributory unemployment benefits - we’re good with that

Contribution-based benefits can help the legitimacy of the welfare state. There is a catch though…

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...

22.01.2026 10:27 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 11 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2

Some amazing work and research by my colleagues. Please read and share! Really pleased to see this published!

21.01.2026 10:53 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
An inadequate Local Housing Allowance is widening health inequalities A roof over your head is a fundamental building block of good health. But for anyone who relies on the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) to…

@epemberton.bsky.social piece on Medium as part of his work with The Health Foundation explores how inadquate Local Housing Allowance is widening health inequalites. wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/an-inadequat...

#autumnbudget #chancellor #localhousing #healthyhomes

lnkd.in/e4iAtacq

06.11.2025 09:46 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

A lack of support for housing costs means that the people we support have no option but to stay in unsuitable housing that is bad for their health.

06.11.2025 09:46 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

There is 'an unequal health impact of the current system of housing cost support that fails to cover people's rent'. People should have a safe and secure home that is not bad for their health. #LHA #LocalHousingAllowance

06.11.2025 09:46 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

@victoria-anns.bsky.social

05.11.2025 22:08 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
The government must cancel plans to cut disability benefits for young people This blog has been co-written by Maddy Rose, Senior Policy Researcher, and Victoria Anns, Policy Researcher.

πŸ“’Young disabled people could face benefit cuts of more than Β£420 a month if government plans go ahead.

Young people deserve real support - not cuts that could push them into poverty.

New blog from me & @victoria-anns.bsky.social: medium.com/p/62015a6f0b12

03.11.2025 12:02 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
Falling Behind: The government is failing private renters by freezing Local Housing Allowance Briefing by Sarah Hadfield on why the government needs to uprate Local Housing Allowance in the Autumn Budget, 2025.

The Government must ensure those on the lowest incomes are not left behind. Let the Local Housing Allowance work as it was designed: uprate it to the cheapest 30% of private rents. Read the full brief here: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...

05.11.2025 10:30 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Housing support should not put people and their families at risk of homelessness or keep people homeless, it should not result in people going without food.

05.11.2025 10:30 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

This isn’t just about numbers: our front line advisors help people like Darren, who shouldn’t be facing homelessness; or Hassan, who was going without food to meet spiraling rent costs, or Chris, who is kept homeless.

05.11.2025 10:30 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

We are calling on the #Chancellor to end the freeze on LHA and re-link it to the lowest 30% of private rents. Right now, freezes to LHA causes the gap between housing support and soaring private rents to widen. This leads directly to shortfalls for low-income renters, resulting in hardship.

05.11.2025 10:30 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ“°New @citizensadvice.bsky.social briefing ahead of the #Autumnbudget: The Government if failing private renters by freezing #LocalHousingAllowance #LHA.

05.11.2025 10:30 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2
Text reads, 'More than 10% of private renters are in a negative budget'.

Text reads, 'More than 10% of private renters are in a negative budget'.

As the #AutumnBudget approaches, we're calling on the Chancellor to unfreeze Local Housing Allowance (LHA) to support people on low incomes as private rents continue to soar.

Read more in our blog ‡️
https://t.co/xTGMQRoFsk https://t.co/ijj5LHQyVC

05.11.2025 08:36 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 3

happy birthday, I think we first met (you might not remember), when I was 25! I can't believe how long ago that was!

05.11.2025 09:02 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Another fantastic piece of research and report by Dr Kate Harrison building on her work on supporting disabled people into work - she outlines practical solutions raised in the Pathways to Work Green paper.

15.10.2025 13:37 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The govt wants to get more disabled people into work, but isn't making full use of the tools at its disposal

In my new report for @citizensadvice.bsky.social I've looked at how our social security system could do more to make sure that when disabled people want to work, work really does pay /1

26.09.2025 07:12 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

Is follow friday still a thing? Any OGs out there who remember #followfriday! Shoutout to @hthrt28.bsky.social for all things Employment Law/Future of Work and AI/Flexible working.

05.09.2025 08:18 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

We must ask ourselves how this changes the social contract been us and the state and what this says about us as a society: are we no longer prepared to support or help those with severe, life long conditions or ill health? #welfarereform #universalcreditbill #socialpolicy

04.09.2025 08:02 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Govs claim that Universal Credit Bill will incentivise people to work is β€˜wishful thinking’ - @victoria-anns.bsky.social outlines how the bill will create a two-tiered system of support. It won’t help disabled people into work/ people with severe, life-long conditions may miss out on protections.

04.09.2025 07:57 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

Thanks Jagna :)

07.08.2025 13:05 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

We set out policy options for the UC review to consider, so there can be a better fit between employment and UC: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...

07.08.2025 12:37 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The unintended consequences of UC’s monthly model is that it leaves our clients feeling confused and distressed, and causes income fluctuation rather than stability. UC doesn’t need to be this way.

07.08.2025 12:37 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

As a result of the UC monthly assessment including an extra pay packet, claimants income looks higher, and they can become ineligible for other sources of financial assistance.

07.08.2025 12:37 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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The monthly assessment model is at odds with how many people are paid, resulting in unnecessary and sometimes extreme UC income variations:

07.08.2025 12:37 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

As it currently stands UC’s design creates ongoing challenges for working households whose wages don’t follow stable and/or monthly patterns creating unnecessary UC income fluctuations.

07.08.2025 12:37 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

New @citizensadvice.bsky.social briefing published with @julia-rt.bsky.social‬ on how Universal Credit can adapt to promote income stability for working households. We set out policy options for the UC review to consider to reflect the reality of low paid employment.

07.08.2025 12:37 πŸ‘ 12 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 6

On my list!

05.08.2025 14:55 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0