Economic turmoil has brought the housing affordability crisis into sharper relief for mortgage holders and renters. What can Government do? The response to COVID-19 was to pull more levers: eviction bans, mortgage and Stamp Duty holidays. In the Autumn Statement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced capping social rents in England, but the Scottish Government had already gone further, faster, introducing a freeze on private as well as social rents and a moratorium on evictions. Previously, Michael Gove recommitted the Government to building 300,000 homes a year. Action will take years to deliver results, requiring considerable political courage. Public opinion will need careful management too. Has the housing crisis become bigger and uglier?
This edition of Understanding Society covers a diverse and varied array of topics relating to the cost-of-living crisis, and how the rising costs have been affecting British society. Ipsos researchers consider food insecurity, sustainable living, the housing market, generational divides, and much more.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gave a ‘cast-iron commitment’ to prioritise levelling up in his first PMQs. In the face of an economic situation requiring ‘eye-wateringly difficult decisions’, what hope do the public have that living standards, high streets, and public services will prosper in the coming years? The public are pessimistic about delivery but the appetite for action is unlikely to lessen.
A greener lifestyle is often seen as expensive but is the cost of living crisis changing this? Our research shows that UK households plan to make environmentally friendly changes due to, not despite of, the rising costs. These changes create opportunities to tackle two key concerns together and the public don't always see a trade-off. How can Government and businesses make the most of this and change the narrative to “it is cheap being green”? And what are the implications for encouraging sustainable behaviour change?
Ipsos research shows that Britons believe increases to the cost of living pose a risk to the nation’s health. But what does the crisis mean for the NHS and the service it can provide – particularly to those feeling the effects of increased poverty – and how can we stop a downward spiral?
Pulse Check
Pulse Check delivers key insights from Ipsos' Political Monitor, Political Pulse, and Public Services data, along with reactive polling, to help you navigate the evolving political landscape.
Consumers in Northern Ireland are being impacted by rising costs, at a time when they already have the lowest gross weekly income compared to the UK average. Captured through interviews and video diaries, the real-life journeys in this article show how affordability permeates all aspects of the consumer experience and highlights how people are making difficult financial decisions and sacrifices with their food shopping behaviours. With the prospect of a second Northern Ireland Assembly election within a year, we reflect on the challenges any future Executive faces in delivering for the people of Northern Ireland.
Through an economist's lens, Dr Linda Yueh shares her take on key challenges of the cost of living crisis, thoughts on economic policy and growth, and some possible glimmers of good news.
Dr Linda Yueh is an economist at Oxford University and London Business School, and the author of The Great Economists: How Their Ideas Can Help Us Today.
The price of food is up by 16.4% from last year – the largest uplift since the 1980s. Two in five (39%) are now worried about affording food next month. Shoppers are being savvier by switching supermarkets and buying essential ranges, but these are temporary fixes and unlikely to help everyone. The poorest households and those with children are being hit the hardest, as they are more likely to be skipping meals and suffering the health consequences. The government has already published the Food Strategy White Paper, but while policy proposals have been forward looking, is enough being done now?
The cost of living crisis takes many forms. There’s the national crisis, the political crisis and the social crisis. In each case, social research has a vital role to play in exploring what rising prices mean for individuals and different groups, as we ultimately seek to answer: what is the real cost of the cost of living crisis?
Mike Brewer, Chief Economist and Deputy Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation joins Gideon Skinner, UK Head of Political Research at Ipsos to analyse the cost of living crisis and the future of the economy. Mike and Gideon delve into the cost of living crisis and share their thoughts on how the cost of living crisis has impacted the UK economy, what future impacts we should expect, and what the government can do to boost the economy going forwards.
When the cost of energy, fuel, transport and goods go up it leads to specific challenges in rural areas, putting rural inequality into sharp focus. As such, there’s overwhelming concern about the rising cost of living among people living in the Highlands and Islands. Residents need to cope with increasing prices on top of existing additional costs on everyday life in the region. We explore why reliable and timely evidence on the impact of the cost of living crisis in different parts of the UK is fundamental for better policymaking.
