Much of Britain, from our bills to our welfare state, is built around a steady monthly pay cheque. But for many people their wages are far less secure. There are many reasons for earnings volatility – from people changing roles, switching hours or losing shifts, to receiving a one-off bonus – but its extent and impact on people’s wider living standards is less well understood. For low income families in particular, our social safety net needs to be able to respond to these fluctuations. What causes earnings volatility? Who experiences it most and how does it affect their lives? Can and should employers and government work to reduce volatility? And what role will Universal Credit play in all of this? At an event at its Westminster offices, the Resolution Foundation presented a new unique analysis, using data from Lloyds Banking Group, to show what’s happening to earnings volatility across Britain. A panel of experts then discussed the wider impact of earnings volatility on living standards, before taking part in an audience Q&A. Speakers Heidi Allen, MP for South Cambridgeshire and Member of Work and Pensions Select Committee Tess Lanning, Director at the Living Wage Foundation Martin King, Head of Customer Vulnerability at Lloyds Banking Group Daniel Tomlinson, Research and Policy Analyst at the Resolution Foundation Torsten Bell, Director of the Resolution Foundation (Chair) Doors open at 10:30am when refreshments will be available.
