In the media

Throughout the project, the participants and researchers on Covid Realities were featured in various print and TV media, including Good Morning Britain; BBC Breakfast; BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour; BBC News at 6pm; The Independent; The Guardian, and The Daily Mirror. Participants have been flagging the importance of keeping and extending the £20 Universal Credit uplift, as well as highlighting the difficulties in juggling everyday life on a low income during the pandemic:

Participants spoke to Times Radio, Five Live, BBC News, BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, The Independent here and here, and The Daily Mirror about the Universal Credit uplift

7th July 2021

16th February 2021

Participant Caroline spoke to BBC Spotlight about her experiences of struggling in the pandemic in Northern Ireland

8th February 2021

Covid Realities participant Maria featured on Times Radio alongside Stephen Timms MP, Chair of the W&P committee, talking about the UC £20 uplift decision.

5th February 2021

Caroline's experience of the £20 UC uplift is featured in the Work & Pensions Committee's report into the £20 uplift.

2nd February 2021

The Covid Realities project, and especially participants Alex, Aurora and Victoria are featured in this article in The Big Issue. ‘I’m losing hope’: How low income families have been impacted by the pandemic.

18th January 2021

Two participants Aurora and Dorothy shared their experiences of the UC uplift. BBC Radio 4 PM from around 17mins 30secs

Sydnie, one of the participants, shared her experiences of the UC uplift on BBC Breakfast / BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat (from 14mins)

19th January 2021

Participant Emma shares her family’s experiences of furlough and claiming UC: ‘Sometimes we don’t eat’: How the planned cut to universal credit will push people over the edge.

Participant Caroline shares her experiences of the UC uplift: Single mums describe devastating impact of £20-a-week Universal Credit cut

15th January 2021

Pandemic Pressures, a joint report from Covid Realities and the Resolution Foundation, was cited here: What Tories fear about Marcus Rashford: he's made the case for decent welfare.

12th January 2021

Participant Nik discusses being a single mother during the pandemic: Mother who grew up on free school meals says struggling with children in pandemic is ‘devastating’. The i newspaper.

11th January 2021

Caroline and Shirley, participants, spoke about their experiences of spending during lockdown on BBC News at 6pm. Their experiences are also in this BBC News article. 'My spending has gone up, not down, in lockdown'.

Pandemic Pressures, a joint report from Covid Realities and the Resolution Foundation, was cited here. Poor families' living costs have surged during pandemic, UK study finds. The Guardian.

Pandemic Pressures was also cited in leader columns in both The Financial Times and The Guardian.

7th January 2021

Here, participant Aurora speaks about the impact of UC debt deductions: ‘We’re close to homeless’: The impact of Universal Credit deductions. The Big Issue.

14th December 2020

In the week beginning 14th December 2020, participants Dorothy, Cassie and Aurora share their Covid Realities in a week long series on BBC Radio 4's PM show

25th November 2020

Participant Maria speak about her struggles to budget during the pandemic. Mum forced to risk catching coronavirus to pick up 3 days of pasta from food bank.

Participant Shirley, and Maddy Power, researcher on Covid Realities, spoke to BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour.

Participant Neil spoke to the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme

4th August 2020

Sydnie featured in a Guardian article by Covid Realities researcher Ruth: 'Eat out to help out': a forlorn dream for those struggling to feed a family.

17th July 2020

Covid Realities was featured in Ros Wynne-Jones’ ‘Real Britain’ column in The Daily Mirror.

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