Costs of Net Zero transition for low-and-middle income households must be addressed, rather than used to derail decarbonisation 30 September 2021 The decade ahead needs to combine ‘a double acceleration’ of the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy, with steps to prevent it widening inequalities by loading costs onto lower-income households, while the benefits flow to better-off households, according to new Resolution Foundation research published today (Thursday). The Carbon Crunch – a joint report by … Continued READ MORE
Cost of living squeeze will bite low-and-middle-income households as rising prices and benefit cuts wipe out wage gains 26 September 2021 A typical low-income family with children could see their income fall by over £20 a week over the next six months as households across the UK experience a triple whammy cost of living crunch from rising prices and energy bills along with falling income support, according to new analysis published today (Sunday) by the Resolution … Continued READ MORE
Around one million furloughed employees face a testing autumn as the scheme closes next week 23 September 2021 Around one million employees are on course to be on the furlough scheme when it closes next week (30 September), which will prompt a testing period in the labour market this autumn, the Resolution Foundation said today (Thursday) in response to the ONS Business Insights and Conditions Survey. The latest ONS data shows that the … Continued READ MORE
Four in ten households on Universal Credit face 13 per cent rise in energy bills in same month as their income is cut by £20 a week 20 September 2021 The Government must do more to protect low-and-middle-income households from rising energy bills, with families on Universal Credit (UC) four times as likely as the wider population to be on pre-payment meters and therefore face higher energy bill hikes in October, the Resolution Foundation said today (Monday). The Foundation notes that 4.4 million households on … Continued READ MORE
Low earners have lost their ‘job satisfaction premium’ over higher paid staff amid rising stress and falling levels of control 20 September 2021 Huge changes in the world of work over the past 30 years have led to people having a greater attachment to their work, but also rising levels of stress and falling levels of control, which has coincided with low earners losing their ‘job satisfaction premium’ over higher paid colleagues, according to new Resolution Foundation research … Continued READ MORE
Labour market defies summer slowdown in economy as employee job levels surpass pre-pandemic levels 14 September 2021 The jobs recovery continued in August, despite the wider economic slowdown over the summer, but there is still ground to make up ahead of the furlough scheme closing at the end of the month, the Resolution Foundation said today (Tuesday) in response to the latest ONS labour market statistics. The Foundation notes that the number … Continued READ MORE
Universal Credit claimants take home as little as £2.24 for every extra hour worked – highlighting how hard it is to work their way out of a huge living standards loss this Autumn 13 September 2021 The six million Universal Credit claimants set for a £1,000 annual income loss from this October are unlikely to make up the shortfall given the scale of extra pay or hours needed to offset the £20 a week cut, the Resolution Foundation said today (Monday). The Foundation says that the 63 per cent taper rate … Continued READ MORE
Furlough rates plateau over the summer with the scheme ending in just three weeks’ time 9 September 2021 The number of employees coming off the furlough scheme slowed in July, and plateaued in the first half of August with around 1.6 million employees still on the scheme, highlighting that the risks of a fresh rise in unemployment this autumn, the Resolution Foundation said today (Thursday) in response to the latest HMRC and ONS … Continued READ MORE
PM pushes Conservatives away from low taxes and towards the NHS – but big fairness questions remain 8 September 2021 The Prime Minister effectively announced a mini-Budget and Spending Review yesterday, in which he fundamentally redirected the Conservative Party away from low taxes and towards an NHS-dominated state. However, the detail of his plans risk failing some major tests of fairness, according to the Resolution Foundation’s overnight analysis of yesterday’s social care announcement. Manifesto-breaking tax … Continued READ MORE
Government sets out biggest tax rises in a generation to fund an NHS-dominated state Social care problems and deep unfairness of National Insurance rises are only partially addressed 7 September 2021 The Prime Minister has announced a flawed but badly needed £14bn tax rise – taking total tax increases over the past six months to £36bn a year by the middle of the parliament – to fund a major investment in the NHS, and offer more protection to those with assets from the costs of social … Continued READ MORE
Chancellor should avoid the biggest overnight benefit cut in history and the biggest state pension increase in 30 years 6 September 2021 The Chancellor faces a series of tough economic choices this Autumn – including whether to press ahead with the biggest increase in the state pension in a generation while delivering the biggest overnight benefit cut in history by cutting Universal Credit (UC) by £20 a week – according to new Resolution Foundation research published today … Continued READ MORE
Jobs market set for bumpy ride as furlough scheme ends, with hiring at record highs and unemployment set for a fresh rise 5 September 2021 Hiring is set to remain strong as the furlough scheme comes to an end, but the UK is still set for a fresh rise in in unemployment, according to new Resolution Foundation research published today (Sunday). The Foundation’s latest Labour Market Outlook examines what the end of the Job Retention Scheme could mean for the … Continued READ MORE
Share of young people receiving benefits increased by two-thirds during the crisis 27 August 2021 The proportion of young adults claiming income-related benefits increased from 9 to 15 per cent during the Covid crisis – a larger increase than any other age group – helping to reverse a decades-long fall in the share of people receiving benefits and highlighting the vital role Universal Credit (UC) has played during the pandemic, … Continued READ MORE
Stamp duty holiday not the main cause of house price boom 21 August 2021 While many have suggested the stamp duty holiday was the main force behind the pandemic-defying rise in house prices across the past year, new Resolution Foundation research published today (Saturday) suggests its role has been overstated, with other factors playing an equal, if not more important, role. The Foundation’s quarterly Housing Outlook examines the recent … Continued READ MORE
Reopening leads to record hiring and vacancies 17 August 2021 Employment continued to rise in July, with payrolled employment levels now up 182,000 on the month, and with hiring at a record level – a welcome sign that the labour market recovery is continuing, the Resolution Foundation said today (Tuesday) in response to the latest HMRC data. Record vacancies were met with record hiring, with … Continued READ MORE
Higher-wage areas experienced significantly larger job falls during the pandemic than lower-wage areas 12 August 2021 Higher-wage areas of the UK have experienced significantly larger job falls during the pandemic than lower-wage areas, according to new Resolution Foundation research published today (Thursday). Levelling up and down Britain – the latest report for The Economy 2030 Inquiry – a collaboration between the Resolution Foundation and the Centre for Economic Performance at the … Continued READ MORE
GDP recovery is encouraging – but it is too early to say that the pandemic is over 12 August 2021 Please see below the Resolution Foundation’s response to this morning’s GDP figures. James Smith, Research Director at the Resolution Foundation, said: “The welcome news from today’s GDP release is that the recovery continued in June. This is particularly good news after growth slowed in April and May. “With GDP still 2.2 per cent below its … Continued READ MORE
Hike in energy prices will disproportionately affect low-income families 6 August 2021 Today’s announcement of a hike in the energy price cap is bad news for low-income families across the UK, many of whom are still suffering from the economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis. With over one-in-five families on Universal Credit already falling behind on essential bills, low-income families face a perfect storm of higher prices … Continued READ MORE
Almost two million workers remain on furlough as the scheme is phased out, with older workers more likely to be stuck 29 July 2021 The number of furloughed employees fell below two million for the first time at the end of June, ahead of the scheme being wound down over the summer, the Resolution Foundation said today (Thursday) in response to the latest HMRC Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme data. The number of furloughed employees fell by 590,000 during June … Continued READ MORE
Staycation summer to cut UK’s £30.5bn ‘tourism trade deficit’ – with Wales, Devon, Cornwall and Cumbria set to benefit most 29 July 2021 Press release from the Resolution Foundation The boom in ‘staycation’ holidays this Summer will provide some much-needed respite for the UK’s travel and hospitality sectors, with areas such as West Wales, Devon, Cornwall and the Lake District benefitting most – but cities such as London and Manchester losing out – according to new research published … Continued READ MORE
Jobs recovery continues with much of the North within touching distance of pre-crisis employment levels 15 July 2021 The UK’s jobs recovery has continued into June, with four regions of the UK now surpassing their pre-crisis payrolled employment levels. However, some of these workers will still be on furlough – highlighting how the recovery remains far from complete – the Resolution Foundation said today in response to the latest ONS labour market data. … Continued READ MORE
Unique Covid crisis wealth boom has seen an average £7,800 windfall but widened wealth gaps 12 July 2021 The Covid-19 crisis has been marked by rising levels of wealth – the first time this has happened during a recession in 70 years – and widening wealth gaps as middle- and high-wealth households have amassed savings and benefitted from rising house prices far more than those with little or no wealth to begin with, … Continued READ MORE
The danger of overdoing the optimism on the economy is greater than the risk of it overheating 9 July 2021 Commenting on the latest GDP figures for May published today (Friday) by the ONS, James Smith, Research Director at the Resolution Foundation, said: “The economy continued to bounce back in May following the deep lockdown freeze at the start of the year. “But with the economy still 3.1 per cent weaker than pre-crisis – a … Continued READ MORE
Cutting Universal Credit at a time when families will already be facing rising inflation and higher unemployment is bad economics, and bad politics 7 July 2021 The Resolution Foundation response to the Government’s announcement today that they are going ahead with the £20 a week cut to Universal Credit from this October Torsten Bell, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, said: “The decision to cut Universal Credit by £20 a week this October will cut the incomes of the poorest families … Continued READ MORE
Over one-in-four young people worried that poor mental health will affect their ability to find a job 5 July 2021 The mental health impact of the pandemic could have lasting repercussions for young people as they take their first steps on the career ladder, with over one-in-four 18-24-year olds afraid that poor mental health will affect their ability to find a job in future, according to new research published today (Monday) by the Resolution Foundation. … Continued READ MORE