Minimum Income Standards
JRF launched the latest update (for 2016) of their minimum income standards work. It reveals the significant impact rising childcare fees have had on the quality of people’s lives and the flexibility of their income overall. A few years ago a rural spin on this research revealed it is considerably more expensive to maintain a reasonable standard of living in rural than urban England. This latest report tells us:
JRF is calling on the Government to undertake a radical overhaul of the childcare system to make it easier for families to balance earning and caring, and improve the quality and affordability. Costs leave working couples £2,600 a year short of decent living standard. Childcare provision needs ‘fundamental reform’ to offer high quality provision spanning summer holidays and the working day.
Research shows weekly budgets for food, clothes and family activities
The findings emerge from JRF’s annual Minimum Income Standard (MIS) research, carried out by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University. It is based on what members of the public think people need to achieve a decent living standard. A full breakdown of weekly budgets is available.
The research shows that to meet what the public consider a minimum standard:
A couple with two children needs to earn at least £18,900 a year each.
A lone parent with one child needs to earn £27,900.
A single person without children needs to earn £17,100 a year.
The research found that although some necessities like food and fuel have become cheaper in the past two years, one of the most significant barriers to reaching a decent standard of living for working families is the cost of childcare. Parents on low incomes who have to pay for childcare are often unable to find arrangements that leave them financially better off.