Review of 2025 and the lookahead in policy and practice: From data to impact
10 December 2025
As 2025 draws to a close, we reviewed the policy developments, sector wide challenges and practical successes that have shaped the past year and what we expect for 2026.
From rising arrears and shrinking local budgets to major reforms to disability benefits and the continued impact of the cost of living crisis, 2025 has brought fresh pressure on low income households and the organisations that support them.
At the same time, many councils, housing providers, utilities and charities have stepped up with data-led approaches to drive targeted support, often against the odds.
We revisited the key policy changes that defined the year and upcoming changes in the year to come, such as the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, disability benefits reforms, local government reorganisation and the expansion of Free School Meals. We also shared insights from our work with partners across sectors on how they made the most of these new policy developments, and turned challenges into opportunities.
We highlighted findings from our landmark analysis of Council Tax Reduction schemes, which revealed worrying trends but also pointed the way toward more effective, fairer support for households struggling with arrears.
Through case studies, data and real world examples, we also celebrated the tangible impact our clients have had in their communities and look ahead to what 2026 may bring.
Listen back to hear
- Introduction: Review of 2025
- 2026 policy forecast: How high-impact clients are preparing now
- Discussion
Guest speakers
"Our Better Off Calculator helped 1.2 million people over the last 12 months identify over £2 billion in unclaimed benefits. Meanwhile, LIFT helped 62,000 households to become better off by more than £77 million. That is just one year of impact. Those households who are now getting, Pension Credit or Free School Meals will get it for the rest of their life or to the end of their schooling, so these impacts are cumulative and have big impacts.”
"It'll be no surprise that the first thing I mention is the removal of the two child limit, which obviously was recently announced and will come into place in April. This should have a really positive impact on larger families and children living in poverty. It's expected to pull just under half a million children out of poverty by 2030 and was widely kind of analysed as one of the most cost effective ways to tackle the issue of child poverty in the UK."
"We help local authorities to use their data to drill down to the households who are most specifically impacted by certain changes. We directly pinpoint who they are and we can think about the changes before they happen and how many of those households will be impacted. This helps local authorities to think strategically and plan ahead for what is changing, particularly coming up on April 2026."
