Minimum Incomes to reflect cost of living?
5th October 2003

Prime Minister promises further work to coalition...

It is clear that social security benefit levels, and the minimum wage, have little relation to the actual costs of living in the U.K. Despite this fact, successive Governments have shown no willingness to research the cost of living due to the fear that this would reveal the true extent of the disparity between what they were prepared to pay and what a healthy income might be. The knock-on effects of low income on ill-health and social problems being conveniently too difficult to measure to factor into the equation.

However, this may be set to change. On 17th September, representatives from the Zacchaeus 2000 Trust, Barnardos and others met with the Prime Minister and set out the case for minimum incomes to be based on empirical research into the cost of living. The minutes of the meeting can now be viewed from our policy pages.

Debt on our Doorstep signed the original petition to the Prime Minister calling for action on this issue, and we are pleased to see that the Government has now agreed to establish a working party to look at the issue in more detail. We look forward to bringing you more news as we get it.