Global influences on the cost of a minimum standard of living in the UK

In recent years, relatively large increases in the price of food, domestic energy and some other essentials have caused the minimum cost of living to rise faster than the general inflation rate. This creates an important domestic issue: how to prevent a fall in living standards for disadvantaged groups whose incomes are often linked to general inflation but whose living costs are rising faster than this. But it also raises questions about the role of global influences on economic disadvantage in the United Kingdom. The global cost of commodities and of imported consumer goods today have important impacts on the price of essentials. This paper explores ways in which this might affect the future ability of households in the UK to afford a minimum acceptable standard of living. This question can be addressed through the Minimum Income Standard (MIS), a measure of how much money households in the UK need in order to reach a minimum acceptable standard of living, based on what members of the public think. An examination of the main areas of spending that comprise this standard shows which have been the main drivers in recent years of rises in essential living costs, susceptible to global influences on price. This analysis identifies three such categories in particular: food, domestic fuel and clothing. The price of these items in the UK is being influenced by a long-term rise in world demand for commodities, and by limits to global energy use related to the supply of fuels and efforts to contain their impact on the environment. These factors have driven a general increase in food and fuel prices, especially since 2007, and are likely to push these prices higher in the future. However, world commodity prices are also highly volatile, partly because of fluctuations in world demand but also because the prospect of large price hikes has attracted speculation, which can sometimes accentuate price movements. UK consumers have been protected from the extremes of commodity price movements, but nevertheless could in future face uncertainty over the price of essentials that makes it harder for those on low incomes to budget. (Continues...)

A minimum income standard for Northern Ireland

The first minimum income standard for Great Britain was launched in 2008. A minimum income standard (MIS) is the income required for a specified household type to reach a socially acceptable minimum living standard. It is based on research on what members of the public, informed by experts where appropriate, think is needed to achieve this minimum living standard. The 2008 MIS was based on research undertaken in Great Britain

Customers’ experiences of contact with the Pension, Disability and Carers Service

This research was conducted over a six month period with customers of the Pension, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS) in a context of government initiatives to increase levels of support to low income pensioners. This study aimed to provide PDCS with detailed insights into what kinds of ‘trigger’ events encourage pensioners to make contact with PDCS; whether and how they are facilitated in doing so by others with whom they are in touch; what channels of communication they use; how they experience their contact with the service; and what PDCS might do to enhance the effectiveness of their service delivery. The findings from this research are likely also to be relevant to other government departments and organisations with responsibility for delivering services to older people

Local Housing Allowance Final Evaluation: The qualitative evidence of claimants’ experience in the nine pathfinder areas

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has commissioned an evaluation of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) in nine local authorities, or Pathfinder areas. The evaluation design includes two waves of qualitative interviews with claimants. This report presents the findings from the second wave of interviews

Measuring resources in later life: a review of the data

This report explores the needs of people in later life, including expenditure, health, social networks, services, housing and neighbourhood, as well as income. The Government is currently planning and initiating policies for a future in which increasing numbers of older people, living longer, will require more resources. This report uses existing data to examine the needs of people over 65. It investigates how patterns of resource use change over time, both for individual older people as they move through later life and for different generations of older people. The report will be of interest to policymakers, practitioners and academics involved in provision for people in later life

Living with the LHA: claimants’ experiences after fifteen months of the LHA in the nine Pathfinder Areas

As part of its reform of Housing Benefit, the Government has introduced, in selected local authority areas, a Local Housing Allowance (LHA). This is payable to low income tenants in the private rented sector. The overall aim of LHA is to empower tenants by giving them more choice over, and responsibility for, their housing decisions. Associated with this, LHA aims to promote fairness, transparency and simplicity and to increase work incentives. The Department for Work and Pensions has commissioned an evaluation of LHA in nine local authorities, or Pathfinder areas. The evaluation design includes surveys which track claimants on LHA over a period of two years after its introduction in each Pathfinder area. This report presents findings from administrative data, the survey baseline and the first two waves of interviews with claimants, and covers the period up to fifteen months after the start of LHA in each Pathfinder area. The report draws on contributions by researchers from the Centre for Research in Social Policy and the National Centre for Social Research as well as analysts from the Department for Work and Pensions. The survey data compares the nine Pathfinder areas with the three Control areas. The DWP administrative data compares the nine Pathfinder areas with the three Control areas and a further six areas. These nine areas (the three Control areas and six additional areas) are referred to as Comparator areas

Receiving the LHA : claimants’ early experiences of the LHA in the nine Pathfinder Areas

As part of its reform of Housing Benefit, the Government has introduced a Local Housing Allowance (LHA) for private rented sector claimants in nine Pathfinder areas. This report gives early findings from the claimant stream of the evaluation of LHA and covers the period up to around six months after the start of LHA in each Pathfinder. It is important to stress that these are early, emerging findings. Many claimants will only just have gone onto LHA or received direct payment for the first time, so the behavioural impacts of LHA are unlikely to have fed through as yet. These will be monitored throughout the evaluation period to assess any future changes and so these findings may develop over time

The public sector and equality for disabled people

This report presents findings of a study of public bodies’ approach to implementing the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and provides evidence for a baseline against which to assess the extent to which the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 prompts authorities to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people

New Deal for Disabled People : survey of registrants – report of Cohort 3

The New Deal for Disabled People (NDDP) was implemented nationally in July 2001. It is a voluntary programme that aims to help people on incapacity benefits move into sustained employment. NDDP is delivered by a national network of local Job Brokers comprising public, private and voluntary sector providers of varying types and levels of work-focused support and assistance. The evaluation design for the programme includes a Survey of the Registrants, which aims to obtain information on NDDP participant characteristics, their experiences of, and views on, the programme. The survey involves three cohorts, with the first two having two waves of interviewing and the third one wave. This report is of the third cohort. The survey for the third cohort entailed face-to-face Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) interviews with people who were registered between August and October 2004 as NDDP participants on the Evaluation Database. The sample was stratified by whether or not registrants were within Pathways to Work pilot areas and whether they had registered with new or existing Job Brokers. Disproportionately large numbers of those within Pathways areas and those with new brokers were sampled to allow robust analysis of these groups. The survey fieldwork was conducted between February and May 2005. After the opt-out process, and after identifying those out of scope, the field response rate was 77 per cent. The 2,531 interviews achieved represent an overall response rate of 64 per cent. Where the respondent had a partner living in their household, and the partner was available, a short interview with the partner was also conducted. If the partner was unavailable for interview it was possible for the interviewer to conduct the interview by proxy (with the respondent on behalf of the partner)

The evaluation of arrangements for effective operation of the new Local Safeguarding Children Boards in England – final report

The evaluation of arrangements for effective operation of the new Local Safeguarding Children Boards in England – final repor