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Reposted by Matilda Davies

George Nixon @georgenixon97.bsky.social · Aug 24

Also shout out @matildakdavies.bsky.social for changing my life by showing me the Datawrapper flag country codes (and CONCATENATE). It's changed my life and I've gone flag mad.

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Mar 24

Kendall has promised to make the Access to Work scheme “fit for the future” - but it seems unlikely that that will include putting more money into it

As Stanforth said: "I love my job. I love working. But I need the support to be able to do so."

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www.thetimes.com/uk/society/a...

Disabled people forced to turn down jobs over 9-month wait for support

More than 60,000 disabled people are yet to receive assistance to enter or remain in the workforce despite Labour’s pledge to get more people into employment

www.thetimes.com

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Mar 24

I also spoke to the incredible Kate Stanforth, who called the renewal process "soul-destroying" and has had to make cuts in her business because her support was slashed

More on her story here: x.com/KateStanfort...

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x.com

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Mar 24

While the largest increases in spend are for people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities, most expenditure goes on grants for deaf and blind people

@rnib.bsky.social says many blind/partially sighted people are "falling out of the workforce because of the delays"

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Mar 24

In February there were 62,000 applications outstanding

The scheme now costs £258 million, more than double the £124 million in 2015-16

The waiting times for the scheme are now actually preventing many disabled people from entering or staying in the workforce

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Mar 24

Everyone I spoke to for this piece said the scheme is "incredible, when it works", but at the moment, it's not working

FOIs to DWP found some people are waiting >9.5 months for a decision and many who have had support for years are suddenly getting it cut

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Mar 24

The scheme - often called the “best kept secret in UK policy” - has existed since 1994 to provide assistance for disabled people to get or retain employment, such as a powered wheelchair or accessible transport to work

There are now >67,000 receiving support through it

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Mar 24

The number of people not working because of long-term sickness shot up during Covid

Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, announced £5 billion in welfare cuts last week to 'get Britain working' - but relatively little was said about Access to Work

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Mar 24

There's been lots of talk recently about getting disabled/long-term sick people back into the workforce, but very little about the 60,000 disabled people waiting for support to do just that

Here's what's going on with the Access to Work scheme 🧵👇

www.thetimes.com/uk/society/a...

Disabled people forced to turn down jobs over 9-month wait for support

More than 60,000 disabled people are yet to receive assistance to enter or remain in the workforce despite Labour’s pledge to get more people into employment

www.thetimes.com

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Jan 27

Something a little different from me:

Last summer, I had the joy of experiencing Argyll Cruising - a tiny cruise on a converted wooden fishing vessel

If you've ever wanted to explore Scotland’s west coast, Mull and Inner Hebrides, this is how to do it ⛵️✍️

www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/...

Eagles, cheese and G&Ts: life aboard a tiny Hebridean cruise

A trip on a converted fishing boat is a unique way to get to know the islands — just pack an extra jumper, says Matilda Davies

www.thetimes.com

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Jan 16

Exceptional and shocking analysis here from @davidwoode.bsky.social and @gwjournalism.bsky.social -

Knife crime is rising: analysing a decade of crime statistics exposes the scale of fatal stabbings and knife possession across England and Wales

George Willoughby @gwjournalism.bsky.social · Jan 16

🚨 NEW: Working with the excellent @davidwoode.bsky.social, we looked at knife crime and analysed who are the perpetrators and who are the victims @thetimes.com 👇
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...

Knife crime is rising — we looked at the data to find out why

Analysing a decade of crime statistics exposes the scale of fatal stabbings and knife possession across England and Wales

www.thetimes.com

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Jan 15

What's going on with the UK economy, and what does it spell for Reeves' future?

@gwjournalism.bsky.social and I dug into the numbers to explain the crisis in five charts

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Why Rachel Reeves is on the ropes over UK economic woes — in charts

A falling pound, rising borrowing costs and stubborn inflation show the chancellor’s financial plan flailing, but how much is her fault?

www.thetimes.com

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Reposted by Matilda Davies

Luke Tryl @luketryl.bsky.social · Jan 4

On Miliband quote. Thinking Miliband succeeding is a bad thing suggests some strategists in Labour are stuck in 1997. Even leaving aside Labour’s new left flank challenge. Climate change is no longer the liberal lefty issue of 1997 . Voters across board think a priority

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Jan 4

Over the past 6 months, my social media timelines have been increasingly filled with AI slop. It's now some of the most viewed content online.

But where does AI slop come from, and how can you spot it?

In today's @thetimes.com

www.thetimes.com/article/b627...

Why ‘AI slop’ is taking over the internet — and how to spot it

The trust we had in pictures and videos is vanishing as artificial intelligence becomes better at fooling us — but there are ways to detect AI-generated content

www.thetimes.com

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Dec 22

Ever seen an advert for something you've just been talking about? Or felt like your phone might be listening to you?

Here's what's really going on 👇

www.thetimes.com/article/97a6...

Think your phone is listening to you? That’s proximity advertising

Ever get that eerie feeling your phone is eavesdropping when targeted ads pop up? Your friends may be to blame

www.thetimes.com

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Reposted by Matilda Davies

Sarah Kay (she/her) @k-interarma.bsky.social · Dec 18

Facebook moderation staff in Kenya are suing Meta and a subcontractor after suffering diagnosis of severe PTSD from constant exposure to graphic content, including CSA and terrorism, during 8 to 10 hour shifts www.theguardian.com/media/2024/d...

More than 140 Kenya Facebook moderators sue after diagnoses of severe PTSD

Exclusive: Diagnoses part of lawsuit being brought against parent company Meta and outsourcer Samasource Kenya

www.theguardian.com

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Dec 20

This 'your year in review' trend has gone too far. I do not need to be reminded of the many, many hours I've waited for Bolts in 2024

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Dec 15

Read the full story here, or in today's @thetimes.com

www.thetimes.com/uk/society/a...

Chocolate prices are rising — especially these brands

Some chocolatiers say their products should be cherished like wine and olive oil. Soon they’ll have the pricing to match

www.thetimes.com

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Dec 15

These higher prices often don't benefit farmers

Governments set long-term fixed prices for cocoa which are supposed to protect farmers when prices are low but have, conversely, prevented them benefiting from the huge increases

This has led to smuggling of cocoa to neighbouring countries

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Dec 15

This affects smaller, artisan chocolatiers more than larger manufacturers like Cadbury and Nestlé

Smaller brands say they have been badly affected because they often use a higher % of cocoa, have shorter-term contracts with farmers and have often paid above the commodity price already

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Dec 15

The result? The price on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) rose from $4,000 a tonne in January to $12,000 in April and was still over $10,000 last week

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Dec 15

The price of cocoa beans has more than doubled in the past year

Ghana and the Côte d’Ivoire jointly account for two thirds of the world’s cocoa bean production

Both saw extreme rainfall last December, which caused the plants to rot with black pod disease, followed by a drought in February

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Dec 15

NEW: Why is chocolate getting so expensive?

@louise-eccles.bsky.social and I dug into the data in today's @thetimes.com

Here's what we found... 🧵👇 (1/)

www.thetimes.com/uk/society/a...

Chocolate prices are rising — especially these brands

Some chocolatiers say their products should be cherished like wine and olive oil. Soon they’ll have the pricing to match

www.thetimes.com

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Reposted by Matilda Davies

Luke Tryl @luketryl.bsky.social · Dec 14

🧵 In today’s @thetimes.com our polling shows strong support for introducing some form of digital ID among the public, as the combination of ease and greater ability to crackdown on fraud, criminality and to tighten up immigration control outweighs privacy concerns.

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Matilda Davies @matildakdavies.bsky.social · Dec 10

Massive props to all the current and former PinkNews staffers who have spoken out

Everyone I worked with at PN was an absolute pro, and these allegations should be taken very seriously

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

PinkNews bosses accused of sexual misconduct

Ex-staff members say they saw one of the couple who runs the site kissing and touching a drunk colleague.

www.bbc.co.uk

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