Fabian Society
Research to develop a living standards action plan
Programme
Income
Timeframe
December 2023 – June 2025
Grant
£90,780
Project Summary
This project would draw on existing policy work and expert interviews with current and former policy makers to develop a plan to implement and evaluate reforms to social security, low pay, insecure work, employment participation and controlling essential costs.
Context
Living standards for low-to-middle income households are barely higher than 13 years ago. Food bank use has soared, and unacceptable levels of insecure work, economic inactivity and social deprivation persist. There is a need for a comprehensive, deliverable plan to change this, grounded in the political, economic and organisational constraints a post-2024 government will face.
Project Overview
The project aims to support a UK government elected in 2024 to significantly increase living standards for low-to-middle income households during the next parliament by producing a strategy that covers goals, communications, prioritisation, government processes and institutional machinery.
The action plan will examine and make recommendations on cross-government strategy, including:
- Persuasive public communication and terminology
- Effective citizen engagement and co-design (including with beneficiaries)
- Goals and measures of success
- Evaluation, prioritisation and sequencing of policy solutions