PRAN NEWSLETTER ISSUE 12: January 2025
Welcome to the January Edition of the PRAN Newsletter
Dear PRAN MEMBERS
Happy New Year! As we embark on 2025, we are thrilled to share updates, insights, and initiatives that reflect our commitment to addressing poverty and inequality. In this issue, we introduce PRAN’s new advisory board, spotlight our newest podcast episode, Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the UK, featuring the compelling experiences of Phoebe, Mohammed, and Fadi and highlight Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby’s insightful blog, The Scandal of Failing Benefits, which examines the pressing issues surrounding the UK’s benefits system and its impact on vulnerable communities. Thank you for your ongoing support—let’s build on our progress together this year!
Podcast Spotlight: The Cost of Living Chronicles - Episode 8: Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the UK
Our latest podcast episode delves into the realities faced by asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. These individuals are among the most vulnerable in society, often enduring severe financial constraints. Asylum seekers receive around £45 per week per person, equivalent to under £7 per day. Many face prolonged waiting periods, often waiting months or even years for decisions on their asylum claims. Unsafe living conditions are a common reality, including overcrowded, damp, and insecure housing. Social challenges persist even after obtaining refugee status, with many newly recognised refugees struggling with homelessness and destitution.
In this episode, Phoebe, (a drama facilitator and director), Mohammed (a talented musician), and Fadi (a skilled craftsman and dedicated volunteer) share their powerful stories and perspectives on navigating these challenges. Click here to listen to this episode.
Introducing PRAN’s Advisory Board
We are excited to announce the formation of PRAN’s advisory board! This exceptional group will provide strategic guidance to help us amplify our impact in 2025 and beyond. Our board members include Aishah Siddiqa and Zino Onokaye-Akaka (HEARD), Andrew Grinnell (Poverty Truth Network), Claire Donovan (End Furniture Poverty), Professor Danny Dorling (University of Oxford), Mike Morris (Writing on the Wall) and Professor Sarah Marie Hall (University of Manchester).
We are grateful for their support and look forward to working together to drive meaningful change. Learn more about our advisory board members here.
Blog Highlight: The Scandal of Failing Benefits by Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby
Our first blog of 2025, written by the renowned Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby, examines systemic failures in the benefit system. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) neglects to ensure £23bn in benefits reach low-income citizens, despite stringent tax enforcement by HMRC. Vulnerable groups face significant barriers to accessing essential benefits, while pensioners receive prioritised support due to political pressures. Furthermore,
the piece highlights that:
● 1/6 of eligible UC and Pension Credit claimants fail to claim their entitlement.
● 45% of eligible households miss out on Council Tax Support.
● 8M pensioners lost their £200 (£300 for those born pre-1944) Winter Fuel Allowance due to means-testing.
Professor Taylor-Gooby examines these inequities and underscores the importance of addressing systemic change. Read the full blog here.
Call to Action
Knowledge-sharing is central to PRAN’s mission. We invite members to make use of PRAN’s website for this purpose and to reach out to us if you wish to contribute a blog post, participate in our podcast, or promote your work, activities, or events. If you are interested in taking on a more active role in the network, please get in touch.
Contact us at info@pran.org.uk to get involved.
Thank you for your continued support as we work together to create lasting change.
In Solidarity,
PRAN Team
