Cuts to benefits and tax credits, along with low pay, a lack of affordable housing and the rising cost of essentials have created a perfect storm for many lower income households in the UK. We’d like you to help us document the financial effect on some of Britain’s families.
More than one in three families with children in the UK are now struggling to make ends meet on an income below what most people think is needed for a minimum household budget, according to research for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. A near-30% rise in the price of essentials, as well as cuts to benefits and tax credits, have hit many; low-paid jobs and insecure private tenancies are tightening the squeeze.
According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Britain’s poorest families have suffered most from the coalition’s welfare cuts and tax hikes. More public spending cuts are promised after May: according to the IFS, the Conservatives’ austerity plans will mean a colossal 14% or £50bn of cuts over the next five years, while Labour’s aim of balancing the books implies cuts of more than £5bn.
We’d like to hear from households who have suffered a fall in family income and are worried about what the future may hold. Perhaps the main wage earner in your family is on relatively low pay and you depend on in-work benefits or tax credits. Or perhaps you’re relying on housing benefit, income support or other reduced benefits?
Low pay and insecure work, such as zero hour contracts, are also making life hard for working families. If you’re having to juggle several jobs or you’re a single-parent family or a young couple struggling in overpriced accommodation, we’d like to hear from you too.
We’ll be using the most interesting responses in a project ahead of the election.
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