Authors:

REED Howard, HORTON Tim

Publisher:

Age UK

Publication year:

2010

Pagination:

50p.

Place of publication:

London

The distributional impact of the UK government’s proposed fiscal consolidation measures in the years 2012-13 and 2014-15 are examined. It draws on a recent analysis of the impact of tax and benefit changes for those years conducted by the Institute of Fiscal Studies and also on a model developed by the authors for analysing the distribution of public spending across households. Analysis of the value of benefits and services to households showed there will be significant losses for all households but especially for families with children and pensioners (particularly older pensioners). If pensioners have to replace the services lost by purchasing services themselves, the welfare impacts will be very severe. The value of services lost for older (75+) pensioner households will be particularly high relative to household income. Pensioner households will lose significantly through cuts to social care and spending on housing. The impact on pensioners would be much greater if health spending was not ring-fenced. Single female pensioners will tend to suffer greater losses than male pensioners or pensioner couples.

Subject terms:

older people, personal finance, social welfare, social care provision, taxation, very old people, benefits, cutbacks, families, financing, government policy;

Content type:

research

Location(s):

United Kingdom

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