The English town where almost a third of working-age people are economically inactive
On a hilltop above Ashfield, a sculpture of a miner watches over the local towns.
In a part of Nottinghamshire with a proud mining heritage, almost a third of working-age people are now economically inactive.
It’s places like this where they’re bracing for the impact of welfare reform.
‘I practically live off’ personal independence payments, says Holly
A group of young people meet here in a local park, before the government unveiled its benefit crackdown designed to save £5bn. They’re among the UK’s almost a million so-called NEETS – people aged 16-24 not in employment, education or training.
Holly, 17, had to drop out of college for having too much time off and explained she has a long-term condition that makes her sick, as well as autism and ADHD.
“I’m still living with my parents but I’m also on PIP,” she says.
She’s concerned that the government is tightening eligibility for PIP – personal independence payments – as part of cuts to sickness and disability benefits.
“It shouldn’t happen because I practically live off of it,” she says. “I use it to get around – transport – because I struggle to get buses and trains and stuff so I get Ubers a lot which can be quite pricey.”
It’s places like Ashfield, in Nottinghamshire, that are bracing for the government’s welfare reforms
She accepts that as a PIP claimant, she can work and says she’s been looking for jobs. “I do want to work,” she insists.
“It’s just the fact that I don’t know if I could work full time with it, and because I’m off sick a lot, I just don’t know if I’d be able to hold a job.”
It’s that concern that’s led her to pursue another option.
“I’m working on getting a fit note at the moment,” she says, referring to a note from her doctor that could lead to her being signed off.
‘Because I’m off sick a lot, I just don’t know if I’d be able to hold a job’
It would mean she’d get more money in benefits – around double the amount a jobseeker receives with no condition to look for work – but she’d then risk losing it if she got a job, a situation she believes is perverse.
“If you have a fit note then it tells you that you cannot work ever – you shouldn’t be looking for a job – which I think is wrong,” she says.
Other young people who are looking for jobs here say when they apply for work they often don’t hear back.
Read more:
The key changes to benefits announced
Further benefit cuts not ruled out
Pippa Carter, the director of the Inspire and Achieve Foundation, which works with more than 200 young people a year, says: “Mental health is the largest barrier with our young people.
“And COVID was an impact as well. They’re just not really able to get out of their rooms. They haven’t got that social confidence.
“And then if you then layer on top of that the benefits and welfare system… if they are signed off sick, for example, with their struggling mental health, they’re then stopped from trying to get employment and take steps forward.”
Pippa Carter tells Sky News young people ‘haven’t got that social confidence’
Many here would welcome a system that gives more help to young people taking their first steps into the workplace.
However, others worry that changes to health-related benefits will push some of society’s most vulnerable people deeper into poverty.
In the centre of Sutton in Ashfield, former care assistant Allison leans on a Zimmer frame as she walks along the high street.
Now 59, she says she was signed off sick with a range of health conditions around 15 years ago and claims PIP.
Recently, life has become a struggle. “We did use a food bank the other day for the first time, so degrading,” she says.
Allison, almost 60, is afraid a cut to benefits would force her to use food banks ‘every week’
But she’s afraid that cuts to benefits would force her to rely on it.
“I’d be going there every week, I’d have to because I wouldn’t be able to survive.”
Bitcoin may stage a recovery above the key $90,000 psychological mark amid easing monetary inflation concerns in the world’s largest economy.
Bitcoin’s (BTC) over two-month downtrend has raised numerous alarms that the current Bitcoin bull cycle may be over, defying the theory of the four-year market cycle.
Despite widespread investor concerns, Bitcoin may be on track to a recovery above $90,000 due to easing inflation concerns in the United States, according to Markus Thielen, the CEO of 10x Research.
“We can see some counter-trend rally as prices are oversold, and there is a good chance that the Fed is mildly dovish,” Thielen told Cointelegraph, adding:
“This is not a major bullish development, rather some fine-tuning from the policymakers. We think BTC will be in a broader consolidation range but we could trade back towards $90,000.”
Bitcoin daily RSI indicator. Source: 10x Research
Investor confidence may also be improved by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s comments indicating that the Fed will “remain on hold amid rising uncertainty among households and businesses,” wrote 10x Research in a March 17 X post, adding:
“Powell also expressed doubts about the sustained inflationary impact of Trump’s tariffs, referencing the 2019 scenario where tariff-related inflation was temporary, and the Fed eventually cut rates three times.”
Meanwhile, investors are eagerly awaiting today’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, for cues on the Fed’s monetary policy for the rest of 2025, a development that may impact investor appetite for risk assets such as Bitcoin.
Related: Crypto market’s biggest risks in 2025: US recession, circular crypto economy
FOMC meeting will be crucial for Bitcoin’s trajectory: analyst
Traders and investors will be watching for any hints about the ending of the Fed’s quantitative easing (QT) program, “a move that could boost liquidity and risk assets,” according to Iliya Kalchev, dispatch analyst at Nexo digital asset investment platform.
“The upcoming Fed decision could be a major catalyst for further movements,” the analyst told Cointelegraph, adding:
“If Chair Powell spreads his dovish wings, Bitcoin could take flight on renewed bullish momentum.”
“However, persistent inflation concerns or a reaffirmation of tight financial conditions, such as elevated interest rates or continued liquidity tightening, could limit upside potential,” added the analyst.
Related: Rising $219B stablecoin supply signals mid-bull cycle, not market top
Fed target interest rate probabilities. Source: CME Group’s FedWatch tool
Markets are currently pricing in a 99% chance that the Fed will keep interest rates steady, according to the latest estimates of the CME Group’s FedWatch tool.
Still, investors have slashed their exposure to US equities by the most on record by 40-percentage-points between February and March, according to Bank of America’s latest survey — raising concerns that recession fears may hurt Bitcoin’s price action.
Magazine: ETH may bottom at $1.6K, SEC delays multiple crypto ETFs, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 9 – 15
A minister has denied misleading Labour voters with a £5bn package of benefit cuts that was not in the party’s manifesto.
Stephen Timms told Sky News Breakfast with Wilfred Frost that Labour pledged to “fix the broken system” during the election campaign and said it would reform or replace the work capability assessment (WCA).
Politics live: PM defends welfare cuts
Scrapping the WCA was one of a series of measures announced on Tuesday, along with narrowing the criteria to qualify for some health and disability benefits.
Labour’s manifesto said: “We believe the work capability assessment is not working and needs to be reformed or replaced, alongside a proper plan to support disabled people to work.”
However, it did not explicitly mention cuts.
Asked if Labour had misled people, social security minister Mr Timms said: “No.”
Stephen Timms on Sky News Breakfast
There’s always a tweet…
It was put to him that his boss Liz Kendall previously tweeted against benefit cuts being considered by former Tory chancellor George Osborne under his austerity programme.
In 2016, the now work and pensions secretary retweeted a colleague who accused Mr Osborne of introducing the cuts “to give handouts to the rich”, alongside a petition campaigning against the measure.
Mr Timms said the Tories “made lots of changes which did a great deal of damage”, including reforms to universal credit which put more people on the higher rate and meant they were “no longer supported into work”.
“We opposed damaging changes the previous government made,” he said.
“We’re bringing forward a package which we think will do the job that’s needed, support people back into work and make the system sustainable financially.”
Read more:
All Labour’s welfare reforms explained
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Benefits cuts Q&A | What do they mean for you?
What measures have been announced?
The most significant measure announced yesterday was making it harder to qualify for personal independence payments (PIP), which is money for people who have extra care or mobility needs as a result of a disability.
The new PIP test will go on to replace the WCA, which currently decides whether people are fit to work or not. There will also be a consultation on delaying access to the health top-up on universal credit until someone is 22.
The announcement was met with criticism from Labour backbenchers, unions and charities, who called for the cuts to be reversed and warned it would push more sick and disabled people into poverty.
However, it is unclear how many people could lose benefits as a result as the impact assessment will not be released until the spring statement next week.
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What to expect from the spring statement
Reforms ‘rushed through’
The spring statement will see Chancellor Rachel Reeves make further spending cuts to account for the loss of around £9bn in fiscal headroom due to a poor economy and global instability.
The government has denied this is the reason for the welfare package, with Ms Kendall telling Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby she would have announced these measures regardless – as she refused to rule out further cuts.
But Tory shadow chancellor Mel Stride told Sky News the reforms were “rushed” through because Ms Reeves “killed the economy” with her October budget.
“That doesn’t make for good policy, particularly in the area of welfare where you do need to take your time and to be thoughtful about it,” he added.
Mel Stride on Sky News Breakfast
PM: Benefits bill ‘devastating’
Sir Keir Starmer has defended the measures, writing in The Times that the 2.8 million working age people out of work due to long-term sickness is a “damning indictment of the Conservative record” on welfare.
He added: “The result is devastating for the public finances. By 2030 we are projected to spend £70bn a year on working-age incapacity and disability benefits alone.”
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