By Aaron Barbour
I went along to the original launch announcing this research nearly two years ago, so it’s great to see the final report from Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University and the Family Budget Unit at York University.
Download the findings here
I’ve been really keen on this invaluable project because we now have a minimum baseline or benchmark to inform all future poverty debates and government policy making, including, for example, the setting of benefit payment rates.
The report defines a minimum income standard: “A minimum standard of living in Britain today includes, but is more than just, food, clothes and shelter. It is about having what you need in order to have the opportunities and choices necessary to participate in society.”
The findings have confirmed what we at Community Links have known for years that the current benefit system does not provide a sufficient income for people to live. In fact it pays people to stay in poverty. If a single working-age adult needs a budget of £158 per week before tax and housing costs. Then why does a single person on Jobseekers Allowance only get £60.50 a week? And why does a single adult, working full time, need to earn £6.88 an hour to reach this weekly standard, and yet the minimum wage is only £5.52 an hour? I would like to know what evidence are DWP and the Treasury using to set their rates.
Check out: www.minimumincomestandard.org
[...] About a year ago we wrote a piece reporting on the launch of the Minimum Income Standards research. This is an income figure [...]