Read about the disabled people being refused benefits by the government, how the uber rich are cheating death, the fight for independent cinemas in the cost of living crisis and why the queer scene is thriving in the Welsh valleys.

Good morning. Welcome back to another issue of Survival Guide, the newsletter helping you navigate the cost of living crisis. I’m Isabella, cost of living reporter at The Big Issue, bringing you the latest news, uplifting stories from your communities and money-saving tips. 

The Big Issue revealed this week the government is rejecting a record high of almost 90% of disability benefit appeals, sparking accusations it is ignoring court rulings in order to take a harder line on claimants. 

Journalist Chaminda Jayanetti spoke to people who have faced harrowing times as a result of government decisions to deny them benefits. Sarah was refused personal independence payment (PIP) after the assessor decided her possession of a fidget toy - which was written up as a "stress ball" - meant she could cope. She has diagnoses for autism, epilepsy, hypothyroidism, migraines and has struggled with multiple pelvic organ prolapses. 

The Big Issue received dozens of responses from readers who have also been refused PIP. “When I phoned to say I wanted to appeal it the man was very rude and made me feel terrible that I was crying which didn’t help my anxiety,” one said. Another added: “I really can't take much more.”

They are far from alone. Earlier this year, I spoke to a legacy benefit claimant who has had to appeal the government’s benefit decision each time. “It’s a torturous process,” he said. “It was difficult for me to understand my own problems, and the government’s putting you on the spot to describe it. Your existence and your money rides on it, and I couldn’t even understand it myself.”

It comes as disabled people face disproportionate costs in the ongoing crisis, and charities and campaigners warn the government is failing to support the most vulnerable. Rachel Curtis, an unpaid carer and campaigner, writes: “It is vital that the government listens to the concerns of disabled people and their carers, allows us to take part in the decision-making process, and commits to long-term investment. Only then are we likely to get the fair deal we deserve.”

As the government plots sanctions for benefits claimants who are out of work and a crackdown on what it is calling “benefit fraud”, disabled people fear the worst is yet to come. 

Here’s everything else you need to know this week…

Need to know basis

💡 Claim it now. Households with prepayment meters are being urged to make sure they have cashed in all their energy vouchers before the end of June. We reported last year that thousands were missing out because they didn’t know about the scheme or couldn’t access it. The Times Money Mentor reports that £130 million has gone unclaimed. If you know anyone on a prepayment meter, please remind them to cash in their vouchers. 

🧸 A new childcare plan. Parents on universal credit will be able to claim hundreds of pounds more for childcare from the end of June, the government has announced. It comes after a report from Coram and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation revealed that, without major reforms, the government’s £4 billion childcare plan will leave disadvantaged children behind. 

🍞 Scrap over food cap. The government is reportedly considering voluntary price limits on certain foods, although these plans are still on the drawing board with retailers claiming price caps “will not make a difference”. 

This is interesting analysis from the Guardian’s economics editor Larry Elliot: “By seeming to lean on food retailers, ministers can look tough while not actually doing anything.” If inflation falls, they can take the credit. If it stays stubbornly high, they can blame retailers. 

🎞️ Fight for independent cinemas. Smaller cinemas are facing a “cliff edge” in the aftermath of the pandemic and with the cost of living crisis, Sky News reports. An independent cinema, the last in the North East, has launched an urgent campaign to save itself from closure. 

📚 Books on the top shelf. Bloomsbury (which publishes Harry Potter) raked in record sales last year, CityAM reports. It prompted bosses to crow that more people are reading during the cost of living crisis than ever before. 

But recent studies have shown parents are spending less on books for their kids. If you can, supporting local libraries, where you can borrow books for just a small membership fee, or independent local bookshops, are great ways to introduce reading to your kids and help the industry through the cost of living crisis. 

💭 Therapy for the lads. Video producers at the Guardian Maeve Shearlaw and Christopher Cherry follow former Big issue vendor Earl John Charlton, who is using his experience of homelessness and drug addiction to help other men cope in the cost of living crisis. It’s a powerful and optimistic watch. 

💰 Tax the rich. A wealth tax of just 2% on the richest 350 families in the UK could raise more than £20bn a year, the Guardian reports. That is enough to build 145,000 new affordable homes a year. We explain how a wealth tax would work.

💊 How the other half live (forever). This is a fascinating piece from Maddy Mussen in the Evening Standard, exploring how the uber-rich “cheat death”. From medical concierges to blood transfusions, this is an insight into the healthcare of the wealthy elite. 

Like what you're reading? Let people know by going to our sign-up article and sharing it on your social networks! You can also sign up to our 'Working on It' newsletter, about making work better, written by my colleague Evie Breese.

On a cheery note

A thriving queer scene has found an unlikely home in the Welsh valleys. The Welsh Ballroom Community is the first of its kind in the country (though it has little to do with ballroom). Daisy Greenwell writes about the emergence of a new LGBTQ+ subculture that sprang up during lockdown in Positive News.

Saving those coins

Looking for ways to save money? This is a useful round-up of 50 top tips to scrimp, save and budget from Which? Some useful ideas include using budgeting apps, recycling your old clothes and signing up for restaurant discounts.

If you’ve got little ones to entertain over the half term, you could treat them to a meal out for free (or cheap) at one of these restaurants or cafes. Iceland has also launched money-saving initiatives to help parents over half term, including a three for £5 on various products to “help kids get their five-a-day for less”.

Anyone doing something inspiring in your community or know about a cool initiative getting people through the cost of living crisis? Let me know at isabella.mcrae@bigissue.com

Dates for your diary 📅

1 June. Volunteers’ week. An annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering in their communities.

2 June. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) releases data: Deprivation inequalities in experiences of young people who were studying for their GCSEs during the pandemic, England: September 2021 to March 2022. 

5 June. Carers’ week. Charities, organisations and individuals will get together to recognise the valuable work of unpaid carers and talk about the ongoing challenges they face in the cost of living crisis. 

7 June. Using human rights to strengthen your campaigning on the cost of living crisis.This is organised by Just Fair. 1pm, online.  

14 June. Healthy start scheme, ten-minute rule motion brought to parliament by Labour MP Emma Lewell-Buck. The private members bill will seek to ensure that families are automatically enrolled in the Healthy Start Scheme as only 60% of eligible families are currently getting the vital support. 

15 June. Frontline exChange London: The cost of living. England’s largest social work charity, Frontline, is hosting the final leg of its 10-year anniversary tour. This event will look into the cost of living and its impact on children and families over the next three to five years. 6pm, King's House, 242 Pentonville Road, London, N19JY.

20 June - 4 July. The vast majority of £150 disability cost of living payments are set to be made automatically over this two-week period. 

21 June. Consumer price inflation statistics are released.

23-25 June. The Great Get Together, organised by the Jo Cox Foundation. People across the country come together to host events that unite their communities. Get involved. 

28 June. The Economics of the ‘Cost of Living Crisis’. A discussion-focused workshop on the economic, historic and political roots of the cost of living crisis from a working class perspective. 7pm, Granby Winter Garden, 37-39 Cairns Street, Liverpool, L8 2UW.

Anything I’ve missed or any events which should be on our radar? Let me know on isabella.mcrae@bigissue.com

Catch up 📺

Shane Meadows writes and directs this adaptation of Ben Myers’ compelling 2017 novel The Gallows Pole – expanding the scarcely believable true story (and the myths and the legends that go with it) of one the biggest and most audacious frauds in British history. Meadows tells The Big Issue’s TV editor Adrian Lobb that the series “reflects what the country is going through now”. The first episode aired on 31 May. You can watch it on BBC2 or BBC iPlayer. 

Sunny side up 🌞

Get your toddler started early. You’ll be grateful when you can stick your feet up while they make you a perfect flat white.