A life in dignity for all? UK social security support, income adequacy and minimum living standards under austerity, 2008–2023

Since 2008, the UK has seen substantial political, economic and social change. Following the global financial crash, there was a shift in the role of the state in providing a ‘social minimum’ – or a properly constituted safety net – for all. Austerity and cuts in public spending contributed to increasing conditionality within social security, and a programme of restrictive welfare reforms undermined support for those on low or no income, delivered in part through the UK welfare state. This article uses the lens of decent minimum living standards to examine the impact of austerity on social security support, income adequacy and minimum living standards in the UK from 2008 to 2023. Minimum Income Standard (MIS) research in the UK provides the basis for this analysis. MIS sets out what the public agree is needed for a minimum socially acceptable standard of living, that meets essential needs and enables social participation. MIS provides an annually updated benchmark, rooted in public consensus, against which the adequacy of benefits and wages can be assessed and tracked over time. The article provides an overview of MIS, before setting out how illustrative households have fared over this period. We chart the impact of austerity on the adequacy of social security and minimum wages, relative to MIS. We end by reflecting on the question of what sort of social security system the UK needs to ensure that all can live in dignity at all stages of life.