Ben Baumberg Geiger
@benbgeiger.bsky.social
Social policy researcher (though sometimes pretends to be a philosopher), Prof co-leading WelfareExperiences project and kcl.ac.uk/csmh work & welfare strand. Was at @BenBaumberg at the other place.
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
The predictable crushing uniformity of the coverage of this Budget tells you an awful lot about the priorities of those papers, and also why there's actually quite a lot to praise in it bylinetimes.com/2025/11/26/t...
November 27, 2025 at 9:40 AM
The predictable crushing uniformity of the coverage of this Budget tells you an awful lot about the priorities of those papers, and also why there's actually quite a lot to praise in it bylinetimes.com/2025/11/26/t...
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
Proud to see the Chancellor directly referencing my research (with @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social & Mary Reader) on the two-child limit.
As we wrote then "The two-child limit hasn’t discouraged poorer families from having children; it has simply made families poorer"
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
As we wrote then "The two-child limit hasn’t discouraged poorer families from having children; it has simply made families poorer"
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
November 26, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Proud to see the Chancellor directly referencing my research (with @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social & Mary Reader) on the two-child limit.
As we wrote then "The two-child limit hasn’t discouraged poorer families from having children; it has simply made families poorer"
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
As we wrote then "The two-child limit hasn’t discouraged poorer families from having children; it has simply made families poorer"
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
New post: If disability benefits spending is flat, then welfare spending is probably going down - Some figures to have to hand when looking through the Budget
inequalities.substack.com/p/disability...
inequalities.substack.com/p/disability...
If disability benefits spending is flat, then welfare spending is probably going down
Some figures to have to hand when looking through tomorrow's Budget
inequalities.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:57 AM
New post: If disability benefits spending is flat, then welfare spending is probably going down - Some figures to have to hand when looking through the Budget
inequalities.substack.com/p/disability...
inequalities.substack.com/p/disability...
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
My column in today’s FT: the vision since 2016 has been that the lever British governments pull to fight poverty is to increase the minimum wage. Time for government to start pulling its weight again too:
The minimum wage is not a cure all — we’re asking too much of business
Politicians spend too much time uttering cheap rhetoric about cheap labour
www.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:26 PM
My column in today’s FT: the vision since 2016 has been that the lever British governments pull to fight poverty is to increase the minimum wage. Time for government to start pulling its weight again too:
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
RF are pro MW, but we agree it's 2nd order to benefits in tackling poverty. Big fight with Osborne over that re tax credit cuts in 2015.
One example: a 2-earner 3-kid family on MW wld have been *worse* off in 2024 than 2014 despite real earnings up 27% www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...
One example: a 2-earner 3-kid family on MW wld have been *worse* off in 2024 than 2014 despite real earnings up 27% www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...
November 25, 2025 at 1:45 PM
RF are pro MW, but we agree it's 2nd order to benefits in tackling poverty. Big fight with Osborne over that re tax credit cuts in 2015.
One example: a 2-earner 3-kid family on MW wld have been *worse* off in 2024 than 2014 despite real earnings up 27% www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...
One example: a 2-earner 3-kid family on MW wld have been *worse* off in 2024 than 2014 despite real earnings up 27% www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
That’s how much the Government spends on welfare, but what do people receive in return?
Here we can see a generational shift in the generosity of support over the past two decades.
Since 2010, changes to benefits have largely favoured older age groups, while families with children have lost out.
Here we can see a generational shift in the generosity of support over the past two decades.
Since 2010, changes to benefits have largely favoured older age groups, while families with children have lost out.
November 25, 2025 at 2:07 PM
That’s how much the Government spends on welfare, but what do people receive in return?
Here we can see a generational shift in the generosity of support over the past two decades.
Since 2010, changes to benefits have largely favoured older age groups, while families with children have lost out.
Here we can see a generational shift in the generosity of support over the past two decades.
Since 2010, changes to benefits have largely favoured older age groups, while families with children have lost out.
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
How much do we spend on welfare?
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP – just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than 2007-08.
Since 2012-13, total welfare spending has actually fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP.
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP – just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than 2007-08.
Since 2012-13, total welfare spending has actually fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP.
November 25, 2025 at 2:07 PM
How much do we spend on welfare?
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP – just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than 2007-08.
Since 2012-13, total welfare spending has actually fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP.
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP – just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than 2007-08.
Since 2012-13, total welfare spending has actually fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP.
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
Why the two-child limit has to go, in a chart.
November 25, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Why the two-child limit has to go, in a chart.
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
Call for papers: Ian Hacking and the Philosophy of Psychiatry. Deadline: 1st February 2026. Guest editors: Şerife Tekin and Jonathan Y. Tsou. Submit your work! think.taylorandfranc... #philsky #philpsy #philsci
Ian Hacking and the Philosophy of Psychiatry
Submit work that examines how Hacking’s historical and pragmatic approach to philosophy has reshaped inquiries into psychiatry.
think.taylorandfrancis.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Call for papers: Ian Hacking and the Philosophy of Psychiatry. Deadline: 1st February 2026. Guest editors: Şerife Tekin and Jonathan Y. Tsou. Submit your work! think.taylorandfranc... #philsky #philpsy #philsci
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
Good to see growing support for abduction or 'inference to the best explanation', recently by Spirling and Stewart in @thejop.bsky.social. This is...
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10....
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10....
August 21, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Good to see growing support for abduction or 'inference to the best explanation', recently by Spirling and Stewart in @thejop.bsky.social. This is...
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10....
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
This thread collating the Sheffield Tribune’s brilliant investigation into the spivvy lawyer threatening Yorkshire leaseholders into handing over cash is worth reading before the story goes national.
Excellent and courageous investigative journalism.
The fact that it is (apparently) legal to do this to people is utterly disgusting.
The fact that it is (apparently) legal to do this to people is utterly disgusting.
“It broke my heart, that was my savings towards a new car,” one woman who paid Milne tens of thousands of pounds told us. “He has just wiped me out.”
Who is Andrew Milne - the solicitor sending "very aggressive" letters to Sheffield homeowners?
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/a-london-law...
Who is Andrew Milne - the solicitor sending "very aggressive" letters to Sheffield homeowners?
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/a-london-law...
November 18, 2025 at 7:21 AM
This thread collating the Sheffield Tribune’s brilliant investigation into the spivvy lawyer threatening Yorkshire leaseholders into handing over cash is worth reading before the story goes national.
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
To all educators out there: We are trying to formulate a criterion for our exams that tackles the vagueness of LLM output and punishes it more strictly. If you recognize the issue, has anyone of you come up with a crisp operationalization of such a criterion. Also grateful for other pointers 🙏
November 14, 2025 at 8:29 AM
To all educators out there: We are trying to formulate a criterion for our exams that tackles the vagueness of LLM output and punishes it more strictly. If you recognize the issue, has anyone of you come up with a crisp operationalization of such a criterion. Also grateful for other pointers 🙏
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
“As a mum and a wheelchair user, pavement parking puts me and my children in danger every day. I don’t understand why drivers think they can block pavements — they’re for pedestrians.” - Aideen, campaigner
Join our campaign against pavement parking https://bit.ly/4hWpLxM
Join our campaign against pavement parking https://bit.ly/4hWpLxM
November 18, 2025 at 7:49 AM
“As a mum and a wheelchair user, pavement parking puts me and my children in danger every day. I don’t understand why drivers think they can block pavements — they’re for pedestrians.” - Aideen, campaigner
Join our campaign against pavement parking https://bit.ly/4hWpLxM
Join our campaign against pavement parking https://bit.ly/4hWpLxM
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
It's a useful reminder that sometimes tech can make a task more efficient for one side (applying for jobs), and more efficient for the other side (writing job adverts), and yet make the system as a whole completely inefficient.
November 14, 2025 at 10:14 AM
It's a useful reminder that sometimes tech can make a task more efficient for one side (applying for jobs), and more efficient for the other side (writing job adverts), and yet make the system as a whole completely inefficient.
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
Is AI making job recruitment less meritocratic? We're getting some v interesting research studies on this question now, and the news is... not good. @jburnmurdoch.ft.com & I dive in, in the latest edition of our newsletter The AI Shift www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
November 14, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Is AI making job recruitment less meritocratic? We're getting some v interesting research studies on this question now, and the news is... not good. @jburnmurdoch.ft.com & I dive in, in the latest edition of our newsletter The AI Shift www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
Racist, sexist, disdain of experts, outriders as heroes, scoffing at political correctness, getting angrier....
I feel I know this story.
I feel I know this story.
November 9, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Racist, sexist, disdain of experts, outriders as heroes, scoffing at political correctness, getting angrier....
I feel I know this story.
I feel I know this story.
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
Mayfield Review rightly highlights employer incentives for more evidence & then action. But this is the bit that's absolutely crucial and has been ducked by governments for a long time. That must change for better living standards, inclusion &growth.
3/n www.resolutionfoundation.org/comment/from...
3/n www.resolutionfoundation.org/comment/from...
From Review to reality • Resolution Foundation
There’s always a danger that official reviews end up generating a lot of talk and symbolic gestures, but don’t set out meaningful steps for change. That’s the challenge faced by the just-published rev...
www.resolutionfoundation.org
November 7, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Mayfield Review rightly highlights employer incentives for more evidence & then action. But this is the bit that's absolutely crucial and has been ducked by governments for a long time. That must change for better living standards, inclusion &growth.
3/n www.resolutionfoundation.org/comment/from...
3/n www.resolutionfoundation.org/comment/from...
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
- Useful short term actions: create standard, trial interventions, build up evidence.
- But risk bolder next steps delayed or don't happen.
- Big gap=employer incentives. We won't crack this by just working with the willing. We'll need incentives and enforcement 2/n
- But risk bolder next steps delayed or don't happen.
- Big gap=employer incentives. We won't crack this by just working with the willing. We'll need incentives and enforcement 2/n
November 7, 2025 at 4:29 PM
- Useful short term actions: create standard, trial interventions, build up evidence.
- But risk bolder next steps delayed or don't happen.
- Big gap=employer incentives. We won't crack this by just working with the willing. We'll need incentives and enforcement 2/n
- But risk bolder next steps delayed or don't happen.
- Big gap=employer incentives. We won't crack this by just working with the willing. We'll need incentives and enforcement 2/n
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
Excellent analysis of Mayfield Review from @benbgeiger.bsky.social & @louisemurphy.bsky.social
@resolutionfoundation.org
- Review has the right diagnosis & analysis of problem & drivers.
- UK labour market isn't in crisis, but does have a long-running problem with disability inclusion.
1/n
@resolutionfoundation.org
- Review has the right diagnosis & analysis of problem & drivers.
- UK labour market isn't in crisis, but does have a long-running problem with disability inclusion.
1/n
From Review to reality • Resolution Foundation
There’s always a danger that official reviews end up generating a lot of talk and symbolic gestures, but don’t set out meaningful steps for change. That’s the challenge faced by the just-published rev...
www.resolutionfoundation.org
November 7, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Excellent analysis of Mayfield Review from @benbgeiger.bsky.social & @louisemurphy.bsky.social
@resolutionfoundation.org
- Review has the right diagnosis & analysis of problem & drivers.
- UK labour market isn't in crisis, but does have a long-running problem with disability inclusion.
1/n
@resolutionfoundation.org
- Review has the right diagnosis & analysis of problem & drivers.
- UK labour market isn't in crisis, but does have a long-running problem with disability inclusion.
1/n
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
Extraordinary story from @sheffieldtribune.bsky.social: A London lawyer bought hundreds of Sheffield freeholds. Then the ‘very aggressive’ letters arrived.
One woman: “It broke my heart, that was my savings towards a new car...He has just wiped me out.”
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/a-london-law...
One woman: “It broke my heart, that was my savings towards a new car...He has just wiped me out.”
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/a-london-law...
A London lawyer bought hundreds of Sheffield freeholds. Then the ‘very aggressive’ letters arrived
Exclusive: The Tribune can reveal that Andrew Milne has threatened leaseholders with high court action. It ‘broke my heart’ one woman says
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Extraordinary story from @sheffieldtribune.bsky.social: A London lawyer bought hundreds of Sheffield freeholds. Then the ‘very aggressive’ letters arrived.
One woman: “It broke my heart, that was my savings towards a new car...He has just wiped me out.”
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/a-london-law...
One woman: “It broke my heart, that was my savings towards a new car...He has just wiped me out.”
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/a-london-law...
The Mayfield Review gets a lot right, but there's also ways it needs to go further - a response from me and @louisemurphy.bsky.social on the @resolutionfoundation.org blog:
What should we make of the Mayfield 'Keep Britain Working' review, published this week?
New @resolutionfoundation.org blog with @benbgeiger.bsky.social on where the review gets it right - and where we think it needs to go further.
www.resolutionfoundation.org/comment/from...
New @resolutionfoundation.org blog with @benbgeiger.bsky.social on where the review gets it right - and where we think it needs to go further.
www.resolutionfoundation.org/comment/from...
From Review to reality • Resolution Foundation
There’s always a danger that official reviews end up generating a lot of talk and symbolic gestures, but don’t set out meaningful steps for change. That’s the challenge faced by the just-published rev...
www.resolutionfoundation.org
November 7, 2025 at 10:29 AM
The Mayfield Review gets a lot right, but there's also ways it needs to go further - a response from me and @louisemurphy.bsky.social on the @resolutionfoundation.org blog:
*Have new WCA claims exploded in the last year?*
My new blog post on (another) mess in DWP statistics...
inequalities.substack.com/p/have-new-w...
My new blog post on (another) mess in DWP statistics...
inequalities.substack.com/p/have-new-w...
Have new WCA claims exploded in the last year?
Yet again, the DWP has been publishing data in a misleading way, making it hard to know what's going on...
inequalities.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:21 AM
*Have new WCA claims exploded in the last year?*
My new blog post on (another) mess in DWP statistics...
inequalities.substack.com/p/have-new-w...
My new blog post on (another) mess in DWP statistics...
inequalities.substack.com/p/have-new-w...
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
And the focus is largely on preventing people from falling out of work. While this is crucial, it’s equally important to address the barriers that prevent disabled people from entering work in the first place. We have further work on this coming out in the months ahead
November 5, 2025 at 11:27 AM
And the focus is largely on preventing people from falling out of work. While this is crucial, it’s equally important to address the barriers that prevent disabled people from entering work in the first place. We have further work on this coming out in the months ahead
Reposted by Ben Baumberg Geiger
However, it feels a bit too focused on the ‘carrot’. My concern is that this might simply reward employers already doing well on disability employment, without doing much - at least in the initial stages of the plan - to shift the behaviour of those falling short
November 5, 2025 at 11:27 AM
However, it feels a bit too focused on the ‘carrot’. My concern is that this might simply reward employers already doing well on disability employment, without doing much - at least in the initial stages of the plan - to shift the behaviour of those falling short