Holly Bancroft is The Independent’s Social Affairs Correspondent. She took on the role at the beginning of 2023, having joined The Independent as a general news reporter in 2021. She covers a range of topics including – but not limited to - refugees and asylum, religion, social care, cost of living and prisons. She was shortlisted for Young Journalist of the year in 2019 at the National Press Awards and New Journalist of the year at the British Journalism Awards in the same year. She is interested in running long-term investigations as well as covering day-to-day news. You can contact her with stories at holly.bancroft@independent.co.uk