National Citizens Advice data on living standards: Labour’s First Hundred Days
National Citizens Advice data on living standards has become central to the public debate in recent months.
Constantly updated and allowing dynamic interaction across multiple variables the data helps policymakers base their views and actions on near real-time information.
It’s free and open and to all. But national Citizens Advice colleagues use it in influential campaigns to improve policy on behalf of clients. They work closely with government departments, regulators, consumer and professional groups.
Policies in the frame for change right now cover living standards issues, including: rental reform, local housing allowance, utility prices, benefit uprating policy.
Tracking essentials spending
Citizens Advice Epsom & Ewell supports the living standards campaign by contributing anonymous information about clients’ problems and reporting research. We regularly highlight policy proposals linked to a chart or statistic that sheds a relevant light on the people we help.
At the July Data Insights event, Labour’s First Hundred Days (watch back here) we chose the essential expenditure tracker (chart).
General inflation is now 2% but the chart shows how rises over the years are now ‘baked in’ to current prices; and it’s worth remembering that wages began outstripping inflation only recently.
The tracker compares inflation this month with July 2019 and 2023 (not shown). The 2019 numbers obviously ‘smooth’ the rollercoaster of prices across the period. The pressure on family finances moved from one product or service category to another adding frightening uncertainty to stretched budgets. In the past year insurance showed the fastest increase while electricity is down.
For CAEE clients all the cost categories are relevant but private rents and mortgages and council tax have been (and are) consistently the biggest worries.
Every national Citizens Advice Data Insights highlights the experience of a single client to make a general point; this month ‘Mark’. In a negative budget and with a serious mental health condition, he learns that a health benefit is to be cut. He wants to work and applies for jobs but says “no one will have me” due to his problems. Often, he says, he “feels like being in a pit without a ladder”.
First Hundred Days?
So, with the latest update in their minds, how did host- and guest-presenters at the First Hundred Days event respond? Was a big change on living standards in prospect?
Dame Clare Moriarty, CEO national Citizens Advice. Believed the new government has an opportunity to turn the tide on the living standards crisis. But on the ‘totemic’ question of abolishing the two-child benefit cap, Dame Clare said it was something maybe ‘Labour needs to work its way towards’.
Tom McInnes, co-interim Director of Policy, national Citizens Advice. Presented the data and emphasised the ongoing living standards crisis for 5m people across Britain and 2m more ‘living on empty’.
David Gauke, political commentator with senior ministerial experience at the Treasury. David said the Chancellor faced tough decisions. She would be well advised to resist immediate increase in spending in favour of overall living standards improvement in the longer term.
Sam Freedman, guest author at Institute of Government. Sam said the best of an immediate change of policy of living standards might be to add ‘hard-headed economics’ to the case. He proposed: ‘Immediate help could ease pressure on struggling health, education and justice services’.
Theo Bertram, Director, Social Market Foundation. Theo underlined the government’s responsibility to maintain financial markets’ confidence in its tax and spend policies. He thought ministers would deal with the two-child benefit cap issue but advised people ‘to give them a bit of time’.
Next Citizens Advice Data Insights: Labour’s Budget: A Living Standards Turning Point?
19 September 1200-1300. More information and register here.