The Joseph Rowntree Foundation today (21 June 2023) published its cost-of-living tracker, Summer 2023.
The research shows that there is persistently high level of hardship in the UK mean that ‘5.5 million low-income households have had to cut down on or skip meals because they can’t afford food. Four million reported going hungry.’
Low-income households are struggling with the costs of food, rent and other bills leading to the use of unsecure and sometimes unsafe loans, unhealthy diets and using monies allocated to help with a disability to fund essentials.
The Report’s Recommendations are:
-
Start the work towards introducing an Essentials Guarantee. This would make sure the basic rate of UC at least covers the essentials – like food, utilities and vital household items – and that deductions (such as the repayment of debts to the Government at unaffordable rates) can never pull support below this level.
-
Unfreeze Local Housing Allowance and, at a minimum, realign it with the bottom 30th percentile of local market rents.
-
Ensure that the Renters Reform Bill does not allow landlords to raise rents within tenancies to unaffordable levels for renters as a loophole to evictions.
In response to this report, Dr Rhidian Hughes, Chief Executive of the Voluntary organisations Disability Group (VODG) says:
‘This is an important report showing the stark reality facing low-income households, many of which we know include disabled people. We support the recommendations set out by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to help address some of the ongoing hardship too many people are experiencing.
‘No-one should need to use funds allocated to help with a disability to cover the costs of everyday essentials. An Essentials Guarantee would be a step forward in ensuring disabled people are able to live the lives they choose.’