Policymakers need to recognise the real human cost of austerity.
Evidence suggests that austerity measures intensified existing inequalities, making certain groups more vulnerable to new challenges and crises as they arose. The cumulative effects underscore the need for policies that anticipate and mitigate harm rather than exacerbate inequalities. However, the emergence of the Green Paper on welfare reform from the new UK Government (24) and the focus on reducing support for disabled people suggests that this body of evidence is having relatively little impact (25). For researchers involved in policy research, understanding why this has been the case and what type of evidence could make a difference feels like a crucial next step to inform future research.