Jules Birch
@julesbirch.bsky.social
Journalist interested in anything connected with housing. Which means just about everything. Doctorate in housing since the financial crisis
Quick follow-up to yesterday: no mention of Local Housing Allowance or the benefit cap in any of budget documents but Pat McFadden confirmed in a written statement later that the freeze in both will continue into next year
hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025...
hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025...
November 27, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Quick follow-up to yesterday: no mention of Local Housing Allowance or the benefit cap in any of budget documents but Pat McFadden confirmed in a written statement later that the freeze in both will continue into next year
hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025...
hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025...
Consultation coming up on VAT treatment of land intended for social housing to 'incentivise' development
November 26, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Consultation coming up on VAT treatment of land intended for social housing to 'incentivise' development
Will apply from Autumn 2026 and cost £25m a year from 2028/29 'so that most claimants will not be subject to reductions in income for working more hours'
November 26, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Will apply from Autumn 2026 and cost £25m a year from 2028/29 'so that most claimants will not be subject to reductions in income for working more hours'
Detail awaited but this should help tackle the working Catch 22 for people living in supported and temporary accommodation
November 26, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Detail awaited but this should help tackle the working Catch 22 for people living in supported and temporary accommodation
Budget defers key decision on rent convergence in social housing until January
November 26, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Budget defers key decision on rent convergence in social housing until January
Budget may have been published in advance but try accessing the policy costings and this happens
November 26, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Budget may have been published in advance but try accessing the policy costings and this happens
Scrapping the two-child limit *is* welfare reform. Defining ‘reform’ solely as ‘cut’ is one reason why it’s proved so difficult
November 23, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Scrapping the two-child limit *is* welfare reform. Defining ‘reform’ solely as ‘cut’ is one reason why it’s proved so difficult
Timely - and plaintive? - message from Public Service Ombudsman for Wales when you arrive at its website
November 18, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Timely - and plaintive? - message from Public Service Ombudsman for Wales when you arrive at its website
Agree with his argument on council housing and government borrowing - but isn’t it a bit Old Labour in his terms (not a bad thing)?
November 10, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Agree with his argument on council housing and government borrowing - but isn’t it a bit Old Labour in his terms (not a bad thing)?
New Labour rejected changes to the post 1988 deregulation of the private rented sector as a way of appealing for more investment - but the arguments he makes against RRA are the standard ones against forms of rent regulation
November 10, 2025 at 7:41 AM
New Labour rejected changes to the post 1988 deregulation of the private rented sector as a way of appealing for more investment - but the arguments he makes against RRA are the standard ones against forms of rent regulation
Nimbys? No problem when you can sentence them to death or 50 years in jail. How to build a 30 storey upside down skyscraper? Hmm
November 6, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Nimbys? No problem when you can sentence them to death or 50 years in jail. How to build a 30 storey upside down skyscraper? Hmm
In other news, The Times subs have confirmed the death of civilisation with this standfirst
October 29, 2025 at 9:19 AM
In other news, The Times subs have confirmed the death of civilisation with this standfirst
Home Builders Federation tells OBR its housebuilding forecasts are too optimistic - and it doesn't take long for the lobbying point to come through
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
October 29, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Home Builders Federation tells OBR its housebuilding forecasts are too optimistic - and it doesn't take long for the lobbying point to come through
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Pre-Budget propaganda-scaremongering-clickbait machine in full swing
www.telegraph.co.uk/money/tax/ne...
www.telegraph.co.uk/money/tax/ne...
October 28, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Pre-Budget propaganda-scaremongering-clickbait machine in full swing
www.telegraph.co.uk/money/tax/ne...
www.telegraph.co.uk/money/tax/ne...
Instantly thought of these guys for some reason
October 21, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Instantly thought of these guys for some reason
Some good news though: the number of families with children in bed and breakfast is down again and the number in B&Bs beyond the six-week legal limit is down by 45% in last year
October 16, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Some good news though: the number of families with children in bed and breakfast is down again and the number in B&Bs beyond the six-week legal limit is down by 45% in last year
Homelessness stats just out show another new record in households (132k) and children (172k) living in temporary accommodation. Up 7.5% in last year
www.gov.uk/government/s...
www.gov.uk/government/s...
October 16, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Homelessness stats just out show another new record in households (132k) and children (172k) living in temporary accommodation. Up 7.5% in last year
www.gov.uk/government/s...
www.gov.uk/government/s...
Housing policy intervention of the week from Tory MP Graham Stuart
October 15, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Housing policy intervention of the week from Tory MP Graham Stuart
One of those rare books that you find a bit of a struggle at first but end up thinking is so good that the minute you finish it you want to start again
October 9, 2025 at 6:23 PM
One of those rare books that you find a bit of a struggle at first but end up thinking is so good that the minute you finish it you want to start again
Pitch perfect final paragraph (sadly in more ways than one)
September 5, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Pitch perfect final paragraph (sadly in more ways than one)
Angela Rayner is a huge loss to the government and to housing - important to have a powerful Secretary of State during spending review, even more important to have one who knew what the priorities should be
September 5, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Angela Rayner is a huge loss to the government and to housing - important to have a powerful Secretary of State during spending review, even more important to have one who knew what the priorities should be
Book launch at the LSE last night for The Climate Diplomat, the book about international climate negotiations by Pete Betts. Pete started working on it after being diagnosed with brain cancer and given 15 months to live. He died almost two years ago with most of it written…
September 5, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Book launch at the LSE last night for The Climate Diplomat, the book about international climate negotiations by Pete Betts. Pete started working on it after being diagnosed with brain cancer and given 15 months to live. He died almost two years ago with most of it written…
Think it goes a bit too far in (almost) suggesting supply is a red herring but surely correct to focus on demand. Don’t get this bit though - why would it not be on the political agenda for a govt with growth as its no 1 mission?
September 4, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Think it goes a bit too far in (almost) suggesting supply is a red herring but surely correct to focus on demand. Don’t get this bit though - why would it not be on the political agenda for a govt with growth as its no 1 mission?
Obviously there is a chapter in The Art of the Deal makes himself look like a complete sucker only to reveal himself as a master negotiator?
August 16, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Obviously there is a chapter in The Art of the Deal makes himself look like a complete sucker only to reveal himself as a master negotiator?