Analysis and action on living standards
Our overnight analysis 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.
The 13 million working-age families across the poorer half of the country are widely courted by politicians. No party can win elections without their votes, and the country cannot succeed without their needs being met. They are working harder and caring more, yet remain poorly understood and badly served, which is why we have dubbed them ‘Unsung Britain’. In this book we examine the evolving characteristics of these families – how they earn, save, spend and how they’ve responded to cost of living challenges. We delve into the rent and bills they pay, the excess inflation they’ve faced as well as the strains on their health, both mental and physical.
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 report provides an assessment of the UK’s progress toward net zero in the land use and agriculture sector – the only major area where emissions have barely fallen over the past 15 years. It examines both sides of the challenge: cutting emissions from food production and reshaping how land is used.
This report considers an often-overlooked aspect of Universal Credit (UC): how the nuts and bolts of the UC system could be improved. Here, we set out a programme of reform that is grounded in claimants’ own experiences; realistic about the system as is; and fully costed when it comes to both the investment and ongoing spend our recommendations would entail.
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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