Tom Stephens
@tcstephens.bsky.social
Senior Fellow @neweconomics.bsky.social | Fellow @lsepublicpolicy.bsky.social | PhD from @lsesocialpolicy.bsky.social | Fmr Jobs/Ed Lead @ Brent Council | Worked on infected blood campaign & abortion decriminalisation w/ @damedianajohnson.bsky.social
We find this would be better at supporting working families to increase hrs, more progressive, & simpler - combining current complex mess of free hrs, Tax Free CC and UC into single offer. And - if parents increased working hrs/earnings - it'd have virtuous fiscal benefits vs. current system. [5/5]
July 31, 2025 at 1:25 PM
We find this would be better at supporting working families to increase hrs, more progressive, & simpler - combining current complex mess of free hrs, Tax Free CC and UC into single offer. And - if parents increased working hrs/earnings - it'd have virtuous fiscal benefits vs. current system. [5/5]
Even for existing working families, the fully expanded free hours aren't enough to support full-time childcare.
It'll remain prohibitively expensive for low-to-middle income families - costing them 2.5-3.5 times more than a family on 90th earnings percentile (& way more for multi-child fams) [/3].
It'll remain prohibitively expensive for low-to-middle income families - costing them 2.5-3.5 times more than a family on 90th earnings percentile (& way more for multi-child fams) [/3].
July 31, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Even for existing working families, the fully expanded free hours aren't enough to support full-time childcare.
It'll remain prohibitively expensive for low-to-middle income families - costing them 2.5-3.5 times more than a family on 90th earnings percentile (& way more for multi-child fams) [/3].
It'll remain prohibitively expensive for low-to-middle income families - costing them 2.5-3.5 times more than a family on 90th earnings percentile (& way more for multi-child fams) [/3].
To realise economic benefits from childcare, you really need to support poorest families to access it - where social & labour market gains by far the highest.
Yet current system denies support to those very same families: the richest 8x more likely to benefit from expanded expanded free hours. [2/]
Yet current system denies support to those very same families: the richest 8x more likely to benefit from expanded expanded free hours. [2/]
July 31, 2025 at 12:46 PM
To realise economic benefits from childcare, you really need to support poorest families to access it - where social & labour market gains by far the highest.
Yet current system denies support to those very same families: the richest 8x more likely to benefit from expanded expanded free hours. [2/]
Yet current system denies support to those very same families: the richest 8x more likely to benefit from expanded expanded free hours. [2/]
Refreshing piece here on complexity of graduate job market, going beyond just blaming 'AI'.
Quite like this (👇) on health/care sector - you see a similar picture in UK occupational growth projections. Unsurprising if you think about it given ageing pop, but lost amidst tech-focussed policy debate!
Quite like this (👇) on health/care sector - you see a similar picture in UK occupational growth projections. Unsurprising if you think about it given ageing pop, but lost amidst tech-focussed policy debate!
July 18, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Refreshing piece here on complexity of graduate job market, going beyond just blaming 'AI'.
Quite like this (👇) on health/care sector - you see a similar picture in UK occupational growth projections. Unsurprising if you think about it given ageing pop, but lost amidst tech-focussed policy debate!
Quite like this (👇) on health/care sector - you see a similar picture in UK occupational growth projections. Unsurprising if you think about it given ageing pop, but lost amidst tech-focussed policy debate!
Be fair - at least he had the good sense to stick to wearing *his own* clothes rather than, say, collude with the Empire to get Solo encased in carbonite so he could fly the Falcon around whilst wearing Han's shirt and jacket?
Will never understand this scene at the end of Empire Strikes Back.
Will never understand this scene at the end of Empire Strikes Back.
August 18, 2024 at 10:08 AM
Be fair - at least he had the good sense to stick to wearing *his own* clothes rather than, say, collude with the Empire to get Solo encased in carbonite so he could fly the Falcon around whilst wearing Han's shirt and jacket?
Will never understand this scene at the end of Empire Strikes Back.
Will never understand this scene at the end of Empire Strikes Back.