Great britain

Standards of living

The amount of money required to raise a family comfortably is 46% more than what it was in the year 2008. However, the earnings of the population are growing at a much slower rate, showing an increment of only 9%. Comparing the two percentage increases, it is evident that the current costs of living are too high. On top of the slow increments in wages, families also have to deal with the changes to their tax credits as well as employee benefits and this puts them in a tight corner financially.

In the recent years, people have held discussions on what they consider to be fundamental needs and what it means to them to live a decent life in the United Kingdom. Most state that their basic needs cover being in a position to feed their families, having the necessary equipment to heat their homes during cold seasons, having some money on the side to treat the children to a birthday present and scraping up enough money for the occasional outing with the family. Most people felt that housing, heating, and feeding were some of the most critical primary needs alongside healthcare and education.