Our publications - 2019

Developing Retirement Living Standards This report sets out the research underpinning the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association and º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s Retirement Living Standards. It explores the ways in which groups of members of the public defined a moderate and a comfortable living standard in retirement, and the principles that underpin these definitions. It also sets out the methodological approach used in the project, and presents the key findings in terms of the goods and services needed to reach each level. Padley, M. and Shepherd, C. (2019) Developing Retirement Living Standards. London: The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association.
The Cost of a Child in 2019 The latest annual update of calculations of the additional cost of bringing up a child, based on the Minimum Income Standard, shows that it costs over £150,000 to pay for a child over 18 years. This year's report highlights which costs have risen the fastest over the past decade – most particularly childcare – and contrasts this with different elements of family benefits, several of which have hardly risen at all. Hirsch, D. (2019) The cost of a child in 2019. London: Child Poverty Action Group
A Minimum Income Standard for the United Kingdom in 2019 This report presents the 2019 update of the Minimum Income Standard (MIS) for the UK. It shows that higher living costs have been driven in particular by more expensive domestic fuel, public transport and childcare. A continued squeeze on living standards for those on low incomes has been emphasised by the benefits freeze. This has outweighed the benefits of a higher minimum wage for working families with children, while out of work benefits continue to fall relative to need. Hirsch, D. (2019) A Minimum Income Standard for the United Kingdom in 2019. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation
A Minimum Income Standard for London 2018 This report presents the 2018 update of the Minimum Income Standard (MIS) for London. It shows that higher living costs in the capital mean that a minimum standard of living in London costs between 15% and 60% more than in urban UK outside London. The report also shows that 41% of people living in London do not have the income needed for what the public agree is a decent standard of living - that is, one that allows them not only to meet their basic needs but also to participate in society. This means 3.6 million people living in the capital have incomes below that needed for a minimum standard of living, which includes one million children, around half of all children living in London. Padley, M., Davis, A., Shepherd, C. and Stone, J. (2019) A Minimum Income Standard for London 2018. London: Trust for London.
Households below a Minimum Income Standard: 2008/09-2016/17 The latest report in the Minimum Income Standard programme, funded by JRF looks at the changes in the adequacy of incomes, as measured by individuals' ability to reach the Minimum Income Standard (MIS), between 2008/09 and 2016/17. It is the seventh in an annual series of reports tracking the total number of individuals in the UK living below the MIS threshold. Note that the publication date for this series is usually the autumn, but this version was delayed from autumn 2018; we expect to publish the 2017/18 version in late 2019. The present report shows a reduction in the numbers below MIS in the past three years, but identifies some groups for whom the number has risen, or remained at a very high level. This includes lone parents, and further analysis in a separate report looks more closely at recent trends and projections for this group. Stone, J., Padley, M. and Hirsch, D. (2019) Households below a Minimum Income Standard: 2008/09 – 2016/17. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Hirsch, D. and Stone, J. (2019) Lone parents under pressure. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ: Centre for Research in Social Policy. Hirsch, D. (2019) Lone parents under pressure - summary of trends‌ º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ: Centre for Research in Social Policy.
‌Family sharing - A minimum income standard for people in their 20s living with parents This report considers the minimum needs of households where people in their 20s live with their parents, and also how costs are shared within such households. This has become a far more common way of living than young singles living on their own, and hence fills in a gap in the Minimum Income Standard’s account of what different households require for a minimum. It identifies substantial savings that parents and their sons and daughters can achieve by living together rather than as separate households, but also some difficult issues about how much it is fair for each of them to contribute to household costs. While the research was able to identify a consensus about how much as a minimum such households require in total, views varied about how much a young adult should pay their parents in ‘board’, so the research provides examples of the implications of different size board contributions. Hill, K. and Hirsch, D. (2019) ‌Family Sharing – A minimum income standard for people in their 20s living with parents. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ: Centre for Research in Social Policy.