diff --git a/changelog_entry.yaml b/changelog_entry.yaml
index e69de29bb..db9f8d61d 100644
--- a/changelog_entry.yaml
+++ b/changelog_entry.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+- bump: patch
+  changes:
+    fixed:
+      - Dataset uprating bug where region values weren't converted to strings for rent indexing
+      - Salary sacrifice default behavior to be static (0) instead of fully optimized (1.0)
+
diff --git a/policyengine_uk/data/economic_assumptions.py b/policyengine_uk/data/economic_assumptions.py
index 12c139267..cc252b542 100644
--- a/policyengine_uk/data/economic_assumptions.py
+++ b/policyengine_uk/data/economic_assumptions.py
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ def uprate_rent(
     elif year < 2025:
         # We have regional growth rates for private rent.
         regional_growth_rate = growth.ons.private_rental_prices(year)[
-            region.values
+            region.values.astype(str)
         ]
         current_year.household["rent"] = np.where(
             is_private_rented,
diff --git a/policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/contrib/behavioral_responses/employee_salary_sacrifice_reduction_rate.yaml b/policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/contrib/behavioral_responses/employee_salary_sacrifice_reduction_rate.yaml
index 481972821..0d7fa4994 100644
--- a/policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/contrib/behavioral_responses/employee_salary_sacrifice_reduction_rate.yaml
+++ b/policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/contrib/behavioral_responses/employee_salary_sacrifice_reduction_rate.yaml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # Most employees would optimize their salary sacrifice to avoid NI charges by reducing it to the cap level.
 description: The percentage by which employees reduce their salary sacrifice pension contributions in response to the salary sacrifice pension cap.
 values:
-  2010-01-01: 1.0  # Default: full optimization (employees reduce to cap level)
+  2010-01-01: 0  # Default: full optimization (employees reduce to cap level)
 metadata:
   unit: /1
   label: Employee salary sacrifice reduction rate in response to cap