The tightening of the financial squeeze on middle incomes
Under David Cameron they were the “squeezed middle”, under Theresa May they were called the “just about managing”. For years, politicians have struggled with semantics when it comes to this group: people whose earnings are too high for them to get a large part of their income from the state but not high enough to always assure a decent living standard. Whatever the semantics, the increased difficulty to pay bills, housing costs, and the increasing prices of essentials, childcare in particular, have skyrocketed, putting this group in the spotlight again. Our Policy Advisor, Professor Donald Hirsch, considers how to help the Financially Squeezed.
Project in focus – Universal Credit and mental health
Changing Realities, a project by the University of York supported by the Trust, has shown that Universal Credit (UC) is harmful to the mental health of claimants, particularly lone parents. The research, part of the Changing Realities programme, showed that 32% of lone parents on UC experience mental health problems, compared to 28% for all adults in receipt of UC.
What’s new? 3.6m affected by problem gambling have limited access to support
New research published by a team at the University of Bristol supported by the Trust found a lack of support available for family members and friends of people with gambling problems. Researchers recommend the introduction of specific support services for the millions of people in Britain affected by someone else’s gambling.
Latest podcast – Childcare solutions
This month we discuss potential solutions to the childcare crisis with Abby Jitendra from Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Bel Guillaume from Onward. Listen here.
Vacancies
We are recruiting for a new Chair. If you know anyone who might be interested in leading the Trust, please direct them to our website (closing soon).
Funding deadline
Our next funding deadline is 5th June. If you have an idea for a campaign, research or campaign project which will help people on low-to-middle incomes, have a look at our funding guidelines.
Share this newsletter
Might this email be useful to someone you know? Do you know anyone who might be interested in applying for a grant?
Forward this newsletter and get them to sign up.
