What have we been doing at the Social Guarantee?
Blogs
This month we have been looking at the role of services in the cost of living crisis.
Rachel Statham, Associate Director for Work and Welfare State at IPPR, formally Senior Research Fellow at IPPR Scotland writes about her new research looking at what universal basic services are and what role can they play in Scotland to help reduce costs households face, particularly during the ongoing cost-of-living-crisis. Read her blog here.
Maeve Cohen, Project Lead at the Social Guarantee writes that austerity isn't over and asks why have we stopped talking about it? It is essential that we recognise the impact of public services on household incomes, and that we continue to fight for universal services as well as a living income. Read her blog here.
Events
Andrew Percy, Co-Chair of the Social Prosperity Network at Institute for Global Prosperity and Maeve Cohen spoke to London's Young Fabians about Universal Basic Services and how they can transform the economy by meeting our social and environmental needs. You can watch the discussion here.
What we're reading
IPPR Scotland's report 'Universal basic services: Building financial security in Scotland' identifies the largest costs facing families below a living income, sets out the current policy approach for each of these areas, and discusses the potential for a universal basic services approach across new areas to bring more people closer to a living income. These include care, transport, information, food and utilities. Read the report here.
Michael Marmot, Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity writes about health inequalities in the Guardian, and the importance of public services: "If public transport were free at the point of use, if social housing were available and affordable, home heating affordable, nutritious food available without a cost premium, then relative lack of individual income would be less harmful for health". Read the full article here.
Jennifer Williams, Northern Correspondent at the Financial Times writes about the impact of deregulation on bus services outside of London. The decline of good quality, affordable services has led to a massive drop in usage and a huge increase in expensive, carbon-intensive car ownership. However, local councils across the country are fighting to bring these services back under their control. You can read her reporting here.