Joseph Rowntree/Loughborough Uni research on Minimum income standards

[Moneynewpence]

DH finished reading the latest report and apparently a single working parent with two children needs an income of 56k a year?! AIBU to ask is this true in your experience? Anyone managing a decent life on less than this?

Well "needs" is clearly ludicrous, as by trying to claim that, they seem to be ignoring the fact that millions upon millions upon millions of people live on considerably less than that.

Gross or net @😜

Can you link? I looked on the JRF website and it only has up to 2022, with £43,400 for a couple with 2 children, which is quite different. Is this a press preview of a soon to be released 2023 report?

I find JR very left wing and clearly £56k for a lot of people is pie in the sky.

That's more what I'd expect. It was the 2022 figures. https://www.minimumincome.org.uk/results/

Based on single parent, two under 5s.

JRF only funds the research, it's done by Loughborough using groups of people saying what they think people should be able to afford.

They’re not ignoring. MIS is the very definition of not racing to the bottom.
MIS is about calculating what is needed for full participation and dignity.

So you may have millions “managing” with shit quality food and no broadband, unable to take their kids on a camping weekend - but that doesn’t mean that’s what we want for people. (I’m not saying those are the things that are calculated, just throwing out similar ideas)

It’s research like MIS that contributes to Living Wage not NMW, and in part encourages employers to pay that.

No-one involved in MIS is saying their calculation is what is needed to stay alive.

Why so negative about a positive action?

Probably true if that single working parent wants to afford one of their houses.

I'm not really sure what the point is of the JRFT these days. They just build expensive developments for middle class people to buy and call themselves a charity while raking it in. Really weird organisation.

The trust is different from the Housing Association. As I said they only fund the research it's not done by them.

Yeah sure, they're not paying any attention at all to the fact that their "affordable houses" are £340k a pop 🤷‍♀️

Costs are based on renting apparently.

Says for me (single) £24,876 and has rent at £98 a week and gas/electric at £30pw
Think that's a bit optimistic!

Not really looking for JRF bashing tbh. Interested in whether this really is a minimum decent standard of living, that's all.

Who knows?

They're a retailer of middle class housing.

Which is quite the feat, for an organic that supposedly campaigns about poverty.

*organisation

On rent, yes, but we as a couple in an old house pay about that for utilities.

That’s not what I’m getting, selecting single adult with 2 children in the 2-4 age category, from your link.

That £32K includes 35% of the net weekly income going on childcare.

So you don’t “need” £32K if you - like many people - are getting free childcare from family, or working part time to avoid childcare.

I think it’s generally a good start point and the category breakdown means it’s easy understand where they* think the money is needed.

*When I say they, I mean based on the people in the research, not JRF of L’boro Uni.

well rents & childcare costs are very high. but wages have stagnated & inflation is eating away at that.

Interestingly it gives me almost my exact salary as how much I need to have a good standard of living.

I have only been earning this amount for a short period of time and have definitely felt the pressure lift and life become more like something to enjoy than to always have to watch every penny.

And you might not be looking for JRF bashing, but there's plenty to be had, soz.

Their flagship development, that they put in York ie one of the most expensive places in the north of England, they did not price it keenly. They did not price it at a level that anyone earning even average wage could afford.

How the fuck did that get subsidy? With what they charge, how the fuck is the taxpayer subsidising that estate?

I think he got it by putting one child under 1 and one under 5. Maybe there's a glitch of some kind in their calculator?

@Untern
Asking nicely could you please not derail the thread? I'm curious about the numbers. If you want to complain about JRF you could always start your own thread. And no I don't work for them or know anyone who does.

@Moneynewpence replying nicely I don't see how I'm derailing the thread.

I'm discussing the organisation you're talking about.

I'm not talking about the organisation though. I've made that clear. I'm talking about the research which they just happen to fund. They don't direct it or carry it out.