Policy area: Welfare

Reports

Turning the tide

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation focuses on the Government’s headline metric of relative child poverty and looks at what might be needed to achieve this goal. The Government is due to publish a Child Poverty Strategy later this year, with a promise to bring about “an enduring reduction in child poverty”....

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‘A big, vast, grey area’

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research looks at exploring the lived experiences of childcare for parents on Universal Credit. This report draws on interviews with 22 low-income parents in receipt of Universal Credit and explores how they manage childcare costs, as well as their broader experiences of childcare and work...

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Money, money, money

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation considers the components of income in the round over the last 30 years. The UK has endured two decades of very sluggish progress on living standards, with a special squeeze on those we describe as Unsung Britain – working-age households, with incomes below the median. This...

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The homes that children deserve: Housing policy to support families

This report from UK think tank IPPR recommends tackling child poverty by reforming welfare payments and building more social housing. As the government seeks to develop a new child poverty strategy, it will need to grapple with housing – the single largest cost faced by families. As the government seeks to develop a new child...

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Innovating for Independence: a win-win for health and social care

This report from UK think tank Re:State sets out practical actions that can be taken so that emerging technologies can significantly improve the delivery of social care in the short-term. The adult social care system is in crisis. The population is ageing, with people living longer in poorer health, combined with a local government system...

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More than money

This report from UK think tank Pro Bono Economics urges the government to prioritise improving access to disability benefits for those whose quality of life depends on this support. Today, the state of public finances and the government’s determination to control public spending might, at first glance, seem to suggest that the government should look...

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Change the prescription

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Social Justice explores what has driven the recent rise in the mental ill-health of our nation. Change the Prescription explores what has driven the recent rise in the mental ill-health of our nation. It contends that the prevailing medical model often fails to address the core...

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Mature decisions

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society looks at the role of social security in alleviating pensioner poverty. Over the past decade, pensioner poverty has been rising. By the government’s standard income-based poverty measure, the poverty rate increased from 14 per cent in 2010-11 to 16 per cent in 2022-23, which means there...

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Mature decisions

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society examines the role of social security in alleviating pensioner poverty. Over the past decade, pensioner poverty has been rising. By the government’s standard income-based poverty measure, the poverty rate increased from 14 per cent in 2010-11 to 16 per cent in 2022-23, which means there were...

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The shape of a social tariff

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation lays out some options for unified social tariff design. As households struggle to afford their water bills, social tariffs have a crucial role to play in ensuring that water is affordable for everyone who needs it. While social tariffs are in place already, their design...

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UBI-eh?

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research looks at stages on the road to a Universal Basic Income (UBI) This report examines a series of incremental, pragmatic reforms that might be considered steps and stages on the road to a Universal Basic Income (UBI), as well as worthwhile in their own...

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Punching down

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Policy Studies shows that it will cost businesses £2,367 more to employ a full-time worker on the minimum wage than it did in 2024. This year will be the most expensive on record for businesses who employ workers on the minimum wage, according to new analysis....

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Marriage and the stable society

This report from UK think tank Civitas looks at the continued importance of marriage. Marriage has undergone a remarkable decline in the UK. The marriage rate has fallen two thirds in 50 years; and in 2021, for the first time, more than half of babies were born to unmarried parents. We also see a growing...

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Lonely nation – Part 4

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Social Justice considers how the government can fulfil its ambition to end mass dependence on emergency food parcels. Lonely Nation Part 4 considers how the government can fulfil its ambition to end mass dependence on emergency food parcels. To achieve this, it argues that the government...

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Pregnant then blue?

This report from UK think tank Pro Bono Economics highlights the potential of targeted, evidence-based interventions to address maternal mental health effectively. Maternal mental health: Evidence for policy action. The early years of a child’s life are critical but challenging for mothers, with up to 1 in 5 new and expectant mothers experiencing depression. Many...

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