Analysis and action on living standards
Unpacking the distributional impact of Britain’s mortgage lending rules
This briefing note examines how being in deep poverty in childhood – proxied by eligibility to free school meals at age 16 – continues to shape graduates’ earnings long after university. Using the Longitudinal Education Outcomes dataset to track the education and work pathways of 520,000 graduates in England born between 1986 and 1989, it shows that graduates who experienced deep poverty in childhood still face a significant earnings gap after a decade in work post graduation.
The Resolution Foundation is an independent think-tank dedicated to lifting living standards in the UK. We focus particularly on households with low and middle incomes; those on low pay or in precarious work; and those vulnerable to financial shocks.
This briefing note sets out how a mix of benign fiscal developments and concerning economic trends leaves the Government on track to meet its fiscal rules following the 2026 Spring Forecast, but with little resilience to shocks. But even as the OBR’s projections were being published, fast‑moving global events had already begun to make key assumptions out of date.
Conflict in the Middle East has driven oil prices from around $70 to $100 per barrel, with wholesale gas prices also rising by over 60 per cent. Given the Government has said the high cost of living is its number one priority, and has acted to help those reliant on heating oil, there is growing pressure to provide widespread support. So what should be done?
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:
Explore our interactive housing indicators or read about our alternative estimate of UK employment.
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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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