Low levels of savings have made it hard for households in developing countries to adapt to reduced incomes caused by Covid-19. Emergency income support could help to alleviate hardship, but emerging economies struggle to finance such schemes. Around the world, Covid-19 has exposed the fragility of households’ economic and financial wellbeing. Policies implemented to contain […]
Category: Families & households
Rising gas prices bring concerns about energy affordability, with estimated shares of household incomes spent on energy indicating the most serious pressures in a generation. But changes to official definitions of fuel poverty mean that the statistics need to be interpreted with caution. With rising inflation and the recent increase in the energy price cap, […]
The US Supreme Court’s decision to remove constitutional protections on access to abortions will have significant effects on women and their families. Research shows that the reproductive, social and economic lives of those who are poor, young and/or black are likely to be most damaged. In a 5:4 decision on the case of Dobbs v. […]
The price of childcare in the UK is high and rising quickly. As many families with pre-school children pay little or nothing for childcare, policies to reduce its costs may make limited difference to those most affected by the cost of living crisis. But wider reforms to the system could deliver longer-term benefits. The cost […]
A year on from the first lockdown, many people’s jobs have been affected, either through redundancy, furlough or reduced hours. Both men and women’s employment has suffered, but mothers have been hit harder than fathers or those without children, widening inequalities. Since the start of the pandemic, almost one year ago, many people’s jobs have […]
Rising interest rates, together with higher energy and food bills, have reduced demand for new housing, slowing the growth in UK house prices. The recently announced cut in stamp duty is likely to be insufficient to support the housing market, given a continuing cost of living crisis. The UK housing market has remained relatively strong […]
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme may have helped to prevent a big rise in the number of UK households in financial distress. But its effects have not been equal, and those on lower incomes have been more likely to cut their spending, draw on savings and face financial hardship. The UK government’s Coronavirus Job Retention […]
Cash benefits boost poor families’ incomes, and if parents struggle to make appropriate spending choices, food vouchers can help them to buy more and better-quality food for their children. But many of the very poorest families fail to take up the vouchers or have restricted eligibility. In the UK, 4.3 million children (31%) live in […]
The recent reversal of Roe v. Wade in the United States has highlighted the fragility of abortion rights. In the UK, abortion rates and access are unequal across the constituent countries, within regions and between different income groups. The decision by the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade – and return decisions on […]
The number of households experiencing uncertainty about secure access to food rose dramatically during the pandemic in both the United States and the UK. The crisis has exposed severe inequalities in ‘food hardship’ across race and class in both countries. Aerial footage showing cars queuing for miles waiting for food donations in the United States […]