Chris is a Principal Policy Adviser at JRF, where he leads on economic and fiscal issues aiming to understand the economic challenges that underpin poverty and economic insecurity. Previously, Chris worked at HM Treasury leading teams providing advice on fiscal sustainability and the distributional impact of policy reforms on households. Prior to that, Chris was an economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies where he conducted research on education policy and inequality.
Email: chris.belfield@jrf.org.uk
With the local elections in England, and elections in Scotland and Wales around the corner, this briefing provides a reminder of the need to prioritise increasing living standards across the UK.
Investment in social security will reduce poverty this April, but progress will stall without a comprehensive set of actions for more than economic growth alone.
New evidence from JRF shows there has been no let-up for low-income families over the last year, with millions of households still struggling to afford life’s essentials, such as food, heating and basic toiletries.
Measures in the Budget, especially removing the two-child limit, ease some pain and significantly reduce child poverty, but incomes are projected to fall more in this parliament than any on record.
New research shows that households feeling economically insecure is driving Labour’s loss of support, not immigration. JRF’s looking at how to improve living standards.
New JRF figures but the same old story: the Government needs to address the cost of living crisis overwhelming millions of UK households to deliver growth, with fairness at its heart.
We can change our tax system to support our economy, invest in our families, and raise living standards. This comment explains how.
Average incomes are expected to fall by £550 over this parliament, meaning the Government risks having the worst living standards performance of any parliament on record.