Families require £36,800 income for basic standard of living

A family of four will need to earn nearly £37,000 to get by, according to an anti-poverty charity.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s annual minimum income study suggests that an increasing number of people living in the UK do not have a socially acceptable standard of living.

The figures, which are up by nearly a third since 2008, are thought to be a result of rising transport and childcare costs and benefit cuts.

The demand for a car, which costs over £5,000, and the fact that more families consider computers and the Internet a necessity are also thought to contribute to the figures.

Julia Unwin, Chief Executive of the JRF, said: “Parents facing low wages and pressure on their working time have little prospect of finding the extra money they need to meet growing household expenses.

“This year’s research shows that a dangerous cocktail of service cuts and stagnating incomes are being keenly felt by parents. Many working people face the risk of sliding into poverty.”

According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, two parents will need to earn £18,400, single people need to earn £16,400 a year and  a single parent with one child will need to earn £23,900 for a basic standard of living.

The findings are backed by Oxfam director of UK poverty Chris Johnes, who said: “Even when both parents work full time they each need to earn 50% above the minimum wage, in order to provide a decent standard of living for their kids.”

Erica Sesay