Growth without gain?: The faltering living standards of people on low-to-middle incomes

From 2003 to 2008:

• median wages flat-lined and disposable incomes actually fell in every English region outside of London, despite economic growth of 11%

• housing costs continued to hit hard as 30% of low to middle income first time buyers relied on a 100% mortgage in 2009, and the proportion renting trebled from 1988 to 2008 as house prices moved out of reach

• since 2006, those on low to middle incomes also faced as much as a 1% higher inflation rate on their cost of living than higher earners.