The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
WQ.420/2024
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
BY DEPUTY L.M.C. DOUBLET OF ST. SAVIOUR
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 18th NOVEMBER 2024 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 25th NOVEMBER 2024
Question
"Further to the Chief Minister's statements during oral questions without notice on 22nd October 2024 regarding the Cost-of-Living Ministerial Group and single parent households, will the Minister provide information on –
- any discussions within the Ministerial Group on the issues facing –
- single parent households;
- pensioner households; and
- any work currently underway to understand, assess and address cost-of-living issues faced by –
- single parent households; and
- pensioner households?"
Answer
The Cost of Living Group investigates, understands and monitors the cost of living pressures faced by Islanders and the groups (or households) most adversely affected by cost of living pressures.
The cost of living – a broader measure than inflation – is high on Jersey, relative to say the UK. High housing costs and the additional costs of island living contribute to the higher cost of living on Jersey. These higher costs of living affect households differently and the Cost of Living Group has noted that lone parent households are the household group most negatively affected with ¾ of lone parent households reporting (Jersey Opinions and Lifestyle, 2022) finding it difficult to cope financially and just 7% reported finding it easy to cope financially. By contrast, 12% of pensioner households reported finding it difficult to cope financially and over half (56%) reported finding it easy to cope financially. Lone parent households are also more likely to report being in arrears and to receive financial help from a charity or voluntary group.
Work is underway to understand, assess and address the cost of living pressures faced by Islanders and those groups most affected by high costs of living. Working towards a living wage will help improve the incomes of the lowest paid, reforms to the housing market will help address the high cost of housing faced by Islanders, and the childcare pilots announced in the CSP will help working parents. The CSP included a commitment to develop minimum income standards for Jersey and the Cost of Living Group is developing proposals for this work and discussing which household groups should be included in the initial phase of work. Lone parent and pensioner household groups are amongst those being considered.