As we leave the summer of 2025 behind and step into October, we enter a month that is unapologetic, bold, and powerful: 'Black History Month in Britain'. This is a time to honour struggle and triumph, to celebrate the contributions of Black communities, and to confront the uncomfortable realities of poverty and inequality that still persist today. Welcome to the Debt Talk Podcast. I’m your host, Ripon Ray. This episode: “Poverty & Black History in Britain.” To guide us through this important conversation, I’m joined by two remarkable guests: Jerry During, founder of Money A&E, the UK’s first lived-experience-led debt and financial education service, was born in Newham. Jerry shared how his father’s experience of debt shaped his childhood, and how his own awareness of being Black sharpened as he pursued a legal career. In law firms, the only non-white faces he encountered were in low-income roles, such as those of cleaners and receptionists. That moment stayed with hi...

6% of UK children now rely on foodbanks. What does that say about the state’s responsibility toward children and other vulnerable members of society? Is the current welfare state fit for purpose? Or are we sleepwalking into the slow erosion of what remains of it? In this month’s Debt Talk podcast, hosted by Ripon Ray, three distinguished experts joined the conversation on “Foodbanks & the Welfare State.” Helen Barnard from the Trussell Trust spoke about how poverty in the UK runs far deeper than it appears. The prevalence of child poverty reflects the shameful state of public affairs in Britain, where turning to foodbanks has become the norm for many families. The lack of food at home doesn’t just affect individuals—it also places added pressure on public services, including health and social care. Dan White from Disability Rights UK highlighted how already marginalised communities, particularly disabled people, have been further targeted by current government policies. Discrimin...

On this month's Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray explored: 'The welfare state, deficit budget & debt '. Trussell Trust, a network of food banks in the UK, gave out nearly 3 million emergency food parcels to people facing financial hardship, and it has noticed a 37% rise in accessing its service compared to the previous year. The question for this month's panellists is: have we moved away from support provided by the state and diverted to the third sector? To assist Debt Talk, panellists for this month were the following: Helen Barnard - policy director of Trussell Trust, explained the welfare state's history and purpose and how the UK has significantly shifted away from its initial cause. Food banks are now playing the state's role because the current welfare system is not providing sufficient support to meet the needs of vulnerable and low-income households. The trust is seeing people with disability and working people seeking help because the current social se...