Analysis and action on living standards
Means-tested benefits in Britain are built on the principle that individuals with significant financial resources should use those before turning to the state for help. That’s why wealth – as well as income – is assessed when determining eligibility and entitlement levels for means-tested support. But while income means-testing has been widely studied and debated, capital means-testing has received far less attention.
This briefing note – the second in a Resolution Foundation research programme on precarious work in the UK, supported by Unbound Philanthropy – examines the labour market experiences of foreign-born workers. While many secure high-skilled, well-paid jobs, we focus on the substantial minority who face barriers to stable and secure employment.
The Resolution Foundation is an independent think-tank focused on improving living standards for those on low-to-middle incomes. We work across a wide range of economic and social policy areas, combining our core purpose with a commitment to analytical rigour.
Post-Covid, the British state is estimated to have reached a historic high of 45 per cent of the size of the economy. Past strategies to cope with increasing pressure on public services such as cutting defence to help fund growing health and welfare spending, and cuts to ‘unprotected’ public services after the financial crisis, have run out of road.
This report continues the Resolution Foundation’s series of reports looking at how changes associated with the net zero transition will impact low-to-middle income households. It deals with the issue of home heating, providing insights into how this transition is playing out across different parts of society, and how policy should change to be more inclusive.
The Resolution Foundation calculates the real Living Wage – a voluntary hourly pay rate that is based on what families need to get by. The current national rate is:
Resolution Ventures exists to back innovative start-ups seeking to change the world of work for the better and early-stage ventures seeking to improve the prospects of low-to-middle income Britain.
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Evaluating the economic importance of intergenerational exchanges including housing assistance, childcare and other unpaid care, and financial aid.
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