Report

COSMO – Financial Inequalities and the Pandemic

Think tank: The Sutton Trust

Author(s): Various Authors

May 25, 2023

This report from UK think tank The Sutton Trust looks at the financial circumstances of households with 16 year-old children during the pandemic period.

This briefing from the first wave of the COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities (COSMO) study explores the financial circumstances of households with 16-year-old children during the pandemic period. It allows a better understanding of which groups were most affected and provides the opportunity to link information on household financial circumstances with data on school attainment and the mental health of families. The data reveals worrying links between poverty, mental health and GCSE grades, with 82% of parents and more than half (53%) of young people in families struggling financially reporting poor mental health. One in ten young people were living in households classed as food insecure during the pandemic, with pupils in families who are long term food bank users receiving lower GCSE grades – almost half a grade per subject on average – than they would be expected to.