Founder of Money Buddies, tackling poverty since 1996; ex-chair of Leeds Debt Advice Network; Co-Founder of Leeds Poverty & Debt Forum. Views are my own.
Leeds, UK
Joined May 2009
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Last call for the Annual Leeds Debt and Poverty Forum on Thursday. Building Financial Resilience in Digital Times. The event is free, with refreshments and lunch provided:
eventbrite.com/e/building-fi…
Building Financial Resilience in Digital Times, is the theme for this year's annual Leeds Debt and Poverty Forum. Opened by the Lord Mayor, there's lots to discuss. The event is free and lunch is provided: Book here 👇 eventbrite.com/e/building-fi…
Date for your diaries:
@hilarybennmp
@RichardBurgon
@RachelReevesMP
@alexsobel
@MarkJSewards
@FabianLeedsNE
@jrf_uk
@gmb
The next Leeds Debt and Poverty Forum is on 8th October 2026, at The Holy Trinity Church on Boar Lane in Leeds. To find out more: eventbrite.com/e/building-fi…
The next Leeds Debt and Poverty Forum is on 8th October 2026, at The Holy Trinity Church on Boar Lane in Leeds. To find out more: eventbrite.com/e/building-fi…
Sylvia Simpson retweeted
I just delivered a 20,000-strong Open Letter to Downing Street to Tax Wealth - Tackle the Cost-of-Living Crisis.
As the wealth of the super-rich soars, millions are struggling with energy, food and housing costs.
It doesn’t need to be this way - tax extreme wealth to fix this!
The systemic problems with the unacceptable delays on the supereccision decisions on UC LCW+RA! Are getting WORSE! More and more people are deprived of income they're entitled to!
@RachelReevesMP
@RichardBurgon
@FabianLeedsNE
@hmtreasury
Sylvia Simpson retweeted
@RachelReevesMP
@RichardBurgon
The systemic issue that is occurring for people who are on UCLCW, claiming UCLCWRA, is NOT being addressed! DWP blame Maximus, Maximus blame DWP. It is affecting more and more people and it needs sorting out, because the front-line have NO POWER!
resident parent to alienate their children from the absent parent. It's a known fact, that children thrive better with BOTH parents in their life! However, the system is geared up to promote single parent families. Social Workers and NHS support workers need training on
suffer in the long run. One parent needs a foodbank. The other parent is laughing all the way to the bank. Child poverty is on the increase, and the system is unfair. Almost 30yrs in the charity sector, the resident parent DOES NOT share their money, because there isn't enough!
Sylvia Simpson retweeted
NEWS. The regulator @thefca has just announced it will launch a consultation on a redress scheme for #carFinance. It is predicting payouts of between £9bn to £18bn. The consultation will start by Oct. Payouts next year.
That's the headlines I'm now going to go through the detail. And report back more on what it means for who in an hour or so. Meantime most important rule DO NOTHING.
Despite my taking it up with the DWP, no one can answer WHY people are getting lost in the system. Within one week, I have come across five cases between agencies. This is systemic, and it needs to be addressed. People are living in poverty because the system is failing them.
Sylvia Simpson retweeted
I'm not very well. I am off my food, and I can't keep it down. I can drink water, though! My mum said if I'm not eating or keeping anything down tomorrow, she's taking me to the vet! I don't want to go to the vet! Travelling gives me anxiety. I'm trying to be brave 😿
Says it all, really! I've been there! I've cried at work. It didn't mean I was rubbish at my job. I have consoled men who also cried at work. It didn't mean they were rubbish at their job either! It's a natural human emotion, and I my heart goes out to anyone struggling at work.
I’ve thought a lot about whether it’s the right thing to talk about Rachel Reeves crying at PMQs.
Because crying is not something we should be ashamed of, or something we should be judged for.
Because crying is something associated with women - and in particular this misogynistic idea that women are too weak and emotional to be able to hack difficult jobs like being Chancellor (remember of course Rachel Reeves is the first female Chancellor as well.)
And because on a human level I feel really sorry for her.
I’ve cried at work. I’m sure lots of us have. And the Chancellor doesn’t have the luxury of being able to hide in the toilets, or slope off early.
But people WILL talk about what happened at PMQs, because when it comes to politics, visual images stick.
I remember that image of Rishi Sunak announcing the election in the pouring rain - an image he never really recovered from.
Or the conference letters falling off behind Theresa May.
Or Ed Miliband and the bacon sandwich - people don’t remember his tax proposals but my gosh they won’t forget that bacon sandwich.
And people will remember Rachel Reeves crying at PMQs too.
Politics is not fair, and none of those moments that we all remember were the fault of the individual.
But here’s the thing - they stuck in the public consciousness because of a sense they were symbolic of a wider truth.
They didn’t happen when the politicians were at their strongest - when they were Teflon - they happened when they were weak.
And I cannot emphasise enough what a big deal last night was.
The Government was forced to junk its flagship welfare policy just an hour or two before the vote. That is such a big moment. Honestly I’m not sure things will be the same again.
It’s a bit like a couple having a terrible argument in a long term relationship - they might not break up, but something changes. They never completely recover.
Keir Starmer’s authority.
The loyalty of the parliamentary Labour Party.
People’s faith in the No10 operation.
And most importantly - the bond of trust with the electorate.
Because they told us again and again these changes were necessary and that they had no choice. They said they were going to happen...and then they didn’t.
Sylvia Simpson retweeted
Even with the changes, the Disability Cuts Bill will see nearly half a million disabled people denied PIP over the next 4 years.
MPs shouldn't vote to cut support for disabled people who'll need help cutting up food, washing or going to the toilet.
I'm voting against the Bill.
Sylvia Simpson retweeted
The Government's reformed welfare bill doesn’t go far enough.
It imposes £3bn in cuts and creates a 2-tier system. I’ll be voting against it.
Read my piece in the Mirror on why I oppose the principles of this Bill.
I wonder how many peoples current PIP applications are going to get delayed until November 2026 now? There are already DWP delays going back over 18 months! The DWP is broken!
Why split society and treat people unfairly like this?
@GMB
@Keir_Starmer
@RichardBurgon
Protecting today's children, from becoming tomorrow's clients ❤️
@RachelReevesMP
@hilarybennmp
@RichardBurgon
@alexsobel
Well, there you go, everyone. I thought this was the case. I was amazed at how quickly she said she was funded by MSE, and wearing a MSE lanyard! Cheeky person came back again and didn't realise they had already been!
Hi Sylvia, thanks for flagging - this definitely wasn't MSE. MoneySavingExpert does not cold call, or employ any form of door-to-door callers. Here's more info: moneysavingexpert.com/news/2… MSE Billy
