Peter Matejic

Chief Analyst at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation working to solve UK Poverty

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

Part of this is definitely stigma in claiming benefits, and a good take up campaign for people to claim benefits they are entitled to would be a good way to help with this. See https://t.co/hQcpv0Tc87 from @LatimerEduin for a good summary of the latest stats.

[Eduin Latimer @LatimerEduin]

New stats out today with the first official estimates of take-up for Universal Credit (UC), the UK's main means-tested benefit for working-age families.

Headline 7 in 10 people who are eligible for UC (or equivalent benefits), claim it.

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

6 and a half years later and with a lot of calculating energy expended, take up of Universal Credit statistics are finally out at https://t.co/zXhUCollgy. At 72% of people taking it up, it comes out mid-range between 2015/16 JSA (56%), WTC (65%), CTC (83%) and ESA (84%) stats.

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

@jrf_uk Really important that work is prioritised so we can get insight into the performance of Universal Credit.

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

Part of its business case was Universal Credit (https://t.co/lOPMxIGKQJ) "by replacing six working age benefits into a single benefit, increases benefit take-up as it is no longer possible only to take up part entitlement", so being below CTC and ESA is a bit disappointing.

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

@NicolaG01 @MikScarlet Yes - the definition of a design flaw! What's worse is I feel the designers did try to be helpful but did no user testing at all. It's so frustrating that the older trains are actually better in terms of their spaces.

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

@RachelCDailey_ Take care, Rachel - hope it helps

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

Great vid from @chrisbelfield - on why financial security is the missing piece in debates on both the Left and the Right.

[Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf_uk]

It’s hard to focus on your job when you’re worrying about keeping a roof over your head or other essentials.

🔎 The economic growth debate is missing something: financial security.

Helping people build a safety net is good for them, as @chrisbelfield explains here 👇

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

This will be a great event - and look out for the report too!

[Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf_uk]

Coming up on 5th October!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Join us for the launch of the Poverty in Scotland 2026 report. At this event we will:

- Share our latest findings on poverty in Scotland
- Discuss the vital role local government can play in preventing and reducing it

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

@MikScarlet Yes - one broken lift and it was almost impossible to navigate in a wheelchair.

[Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf_uk]

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.

[Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf_uk]

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 @StatsPeter]

@PeterStefanovi2 So sorry to hear this, Peter. Condolences to you and your family.

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

Great thread from @LukeTryl, drawing from work @Moreincommon_ did with @jrf_uk and @TrussellUK. Reform not cuts.

[Luke Tryl @LukeTryl]

🧵 Welfare reform is going to be top of the agenda for the new govt. How do you avoid the trap last govt into? Our research for @jrf_uk and @TrussellUK shows how Burnham might land his pledge of a 'fair and sustainable' approach with the public.

[Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf_uk]

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 @StatsPeter]

So far heard very powerful stories of lived experience of poverty, its impacts and the need for *action* followed by speech from @olivercoppard talking about the platform he is building for others to build on for action in South Yorkshire.

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

At the Dream Big, South Yorkshire: Year of the Child summit led on by @savechildrenuk in very grand setting of Doncaster Corn Exchange

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

What do @DWPgovuk feel are the most important research questions facing them over the next 5 to 10 years? Read this doc... https://t.co/rSIbGaxXUy.

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

UK inflation is now around the same level as France and Germany, after being higher for the last year, with inflation in France climbing from 0.4% in Jan 26 to 2.8% in latest May data. 4/4

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

Interesting inflation data today, with the expected rise not coming. It is basically a story of inflation in everything bar transport going down a tad and thus counter-balancing a big rise there. 1/4

[Office for National Statistics (ONS) @ONS]

The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 2.8% in the 12 months to May 2026, unchanged from the 12 months to April 2026.

Read the full article ️➡️ https://t.co/VwzlwCRqdc

[Peter Matejic @StatsPeter]

When the new cap comes into the stats in the July data (out August) it will add 0.4ppts to CPI according to Bank of England. But for now, good news, and another month when the Governor of the Bank doesn't have to write the Chancellor explaining why inflation is over 3%. 3/4