News Archives - Toynbee Hall

UK Spending Review 2025: A Step Forward, but Gaps Remain for Low-Income Communities

June 12, 2025

Photo by Norbert Levajsics on Unsplash The UK government’s 2025 Spending Review outlines significant investments aimed at addressing pressing societal issues. There are many welcomed steps being put forward in this review but while initiatives like expanding free school meals, increasing social housing, and enhancing winter fuel payments are commendable, critical gaps persist, particularly in support for low-income…
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Expanding Free School Meals and the Next Step: Scrapping the Two-Child Benefit Cap

June 5, 2025

At Toynbee Hall, we are committed to supporting families and communities in East London. Recent government initiatives have brought both relief and renewed focus on the challenges faced by low-income households. One significant development is the expansion of free school meals to all children in households receiving Universal Credit. However, as we celebrate this progress,…
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Energy Price Cap to Fall by 7% – But Bills Still Higher Than a Year Ago

May 27, 2025

Today, Ofgem announced that the energy price cap will fall by 7% from 1 July, reducing average annual bills for typical households on standard tariffs from £1,849 to £1,720. The cap sets the maximum rate suppliers can charge for each unit of energy for customers on default tariffs in England, Scotland and Wales. While the…
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Debt Free Advice Welcomes FCA Executive to Toynbee Hall as Survey Reveals 13 Million Facing Financial Strain

May 16, 2025

Debt Free Advice welcomed a senior official from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to its flagship advice centre at Toynbee Hall this week, as new national data confirmed the growing scale of financial vulnerability across the UK. Sarah Pritchard, Executive Director for Supervision, Policy and Competition at the FCA, joined Debt Free Advice Managing Director…
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Government signals council tax enforcement reform

May 14, 2025

This morning on Good Morning Britain, Pat McFadden MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, announced that the UK Government will launch a consultation to make council tax collection fairer for people in debt. The announcement marks a significant win for the Council Tax Trap campaign, led by the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI) and fronted…
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More Brits Are Saving, But Millions Still Live One Crisis Away from Debt

April 30, 2025

New figures from Chase, the consumer banking arm of JPMorgan Chase, show that 69% of adults in the UK have changed their spending habits to try and save more money. Almost half of those surveyed said they’re doing so to build an emergency fund, with others saving for holidays, retirement, or simply to prepare for…
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Debt Advice Without Borders: A global week in London

April 29, 2025

Earlier this month, Toynbee Hall was proud to host members of the Global Credit Counselling Alliance (GCCA) for a three-day study visit in London. The event led by our director of advice services Matt Dronfield brought together representatives from credit counselling organisations in South Korea and the United States to exchange ideas, explore innovative practices,…
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Toynbee Hall’s response to child poverty figures and the benefits reform green paper

March 27, 2025

We urge the government to reverse policies that drive poverty, rather than cutting vital support for disabled people and their families.

“The crisis makes us more alone” – new youth-led research shows young people’s access to emotional support significantly impacted by the cost-of-living crisis

February 26, 2025

Toynbee Hall’s new youth-led research report focuses on the emotional support available to young people in the context of the cost-of-living crisis.

Celebrating 140 Years of Toynbee Hall: a legacy of Empowerment and Community

December 23, 2024

Toynbee Hall recently marked a momentous milestone, its 140th anniversary. Supporters, beneficiaries and local friends gathered to celebrate and reflect on our enduring mission to break down barriers and empower communities.

Category: News