The government have pledged to improve living standards by 2030. Though new research from the Joesph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) shows the target is currently way out of reach.
The research, which was published ahead of the Spring Statement, reveals the lowest income households will be £900 per year worse off by the end of the decade, which equates to a 6% fall in their disposable income.
Should the theorisation become reality, Prime Minister Keir Starmer will miss his new living standards milestone, and Labour will be the first government since 1995 to see a fall in living standards across parliament.
To give context, on 5th December 2024 Starmer revealed his party would be raising living standards in every part of the UK as one of the six milestones the Government should be judged against during the next general election.
Figures from JRF models the picture for household incomes if the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) were to adjust their economic forecasts ahead of the Spring Statement in line with the Bank of England and other major forecasters.
It should be noted; the research gives the outlook on living standards for families before the cuts to disability and incapacity benefits are revealed – an announcement many experts are sure will be included in the government’s plans.
Comparing 2030 with 2025, researchers from JRF predict:
- The average mortgage holder is set to pay around £1,400 more per year in interest
- The average renter is set to pay around £300 more per year in rent
- Average earnings are set to drop by £700 per year
‘This Labour Government risks presiding over the first parliament on modern record to see a fall in average living standards from start to finish, missing the Prime Minister’s new milestone alongside a rapid rise in equality,’ Alfie Stirling, Director of Insight and Policy at JRF said. ‘There is no doubt the government is facing an unenviable list of economic pressures and uncertainties, ranging from the domestic to the international.
‘But how you manage these risks is a matter of political choice. It is wrong, and ultimately counterproductive, to try and rebuild the public finances through cuts to disability benefits. Instead, government should be addressing hardship and raising living standards directly, as part of their strategy for growth.’
Photo by Noah Silliman via UnSplash
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