PIP assessments set to change as 3.7 million people have claimed the benefit
This afternoon, Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, delivered her Spring Statement. Reeves has committed to increase defense spending by 2.5%, reform the welfare state, and invest £13 billion more in capital infrastructure to support growth, and an additional £2 billion in social and affordable housing. Welfare reforms come amidst reports of the escalating costs […]
Significant increase in Universal Credit health claims, as government announces benefit changes
Half a million more people with a health condition or disability were on Universal Credit last December compared to the previous year, the Department for Work and Pensions revealed. This comes as Labour is set to announce a big shake up of the welfare system in the UK. In an effort to cut billions of […]
Child mortality rates significantly increase
Child mortality rates have significantly increased in England, the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID) reports. Over the last 20 years, the child mortality rates have fallen from 18.0 deaths per 100,000 registered in 2001/2003 to 10.0 per 100,000 in 2019 to 2021. However, this has significantly increased in the last two time periods […]
Performance gap amongst most and least disadvantaged KS4 pupils widens
Revised data published by the Department for Education reveals an increasing performance gap in England at key stage 4. Whilst overall attainment in English and Maths GCSE increased by 0.6% in 2023/2024, the data highlights a widening gap between the most and least disadvantaged pupils. The disadvantage gap, which calculates the performance gap between disadvantaged […]
Tooth extractions due to decay rise 17% among children in England
In England, during the 2023/2024 financial year, 31,165 tooth extractions were performed on children and young people (aged 0-19) due to tooth decay, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities reports. This represents 66% of the total 47,581 tooth extractions carried out on this age group and shows a 17% increase in decay-related extractions compared […]
41% of students missing significant school time
In England, 41% of pupils missed at least 10% of classes in the 2024/2025 Autumn term, according to data recently published by the ONS. Average attendance was 94.8% for primary, 91.9% for secondary, and 87.4% for special schools. Richmond upon Thames had the highest primary (95.7%) and secondary (94.1%) attendance. Newham showed the lowest special […]
495,904 patients with a dementia diagnosis in January 2025
In January 2025, a total of 495,904 NHS England patients had a recorded diagnosis of dementia. This represents a slight decrease from the numbers registered one month prior. Of these, 96.9% of patients were aged 65 or over. However, the NHS estimates that there are a total of 735,168 individuals aged 65 or over in […]
Knife crime increased by 24% over the last decade
Knife crime has increased by a staggering 24% in the last decade, according to data released today by the Ministry of Justice. However, this increase seems to be slowing down, with 2024 seeing only a 0.3% increase on the year before. The number of knife and offensive weapon offences dealt with by the Criminal Justice […]
House prices increase by 4.6%
Average house prices in the UK have increased by 4.6% in the 12 months to December 2024, provisional data from the Office for National Statistics shows. The annual growth rate has increased from the 3.9% recorded in November, as an average house in the UK costs £268,000. In England, average house prices have not changed […]
UK claimants rise as job vacancies shrink again
The UK Claimant Count rose in January 2025, hitting 1.750 million amid a continuing decline in job vacancies. The estimated number of vacancies, dropped by 9,000 to 819,000 in the quarter from November 2024 to January 2025. Although vacancies have fallen for 31 consecutive quarters, they still remain higher than pre-pandemic levels. Regionally, the picture […]