Addressing the UK's livelihood crisis: Beyond the price of energy
This IGP working paper analyses the cost of living crisis through a livelihood lens: exploring what the implementation of Universal Basic Services could mean for the cost of living crisis
28 November 2022
By Henrietta L. Moore and Alexandra Boothroyd
The UK is suffering a sustained crisis, as the cost of living and energy prices soar. In recent months, and across successive changes in leadership, the government has announced various policies to mitigate the effects, yet they have failed to act systemically. The government’s response so far has reflected a reactive fixation on the rising price of energy; but the UK is ultimately facing a deeper livelihood crisis, that exists at the nexus of rising food, transport and energy prices, high levels of inequality, and an unsustainable dependence on fossil fuels. This crisis demands a whole systems approach, underpinned by the principles of equality and sustainability.
The Institute for Global Prosperity (IGP) has a plan for the UK. Since its inception, the IGP has been developing novel approaches to livelihood security. At the core of this work is Universal Basic Services (UBS), an expanded social protection system for the 21st century. This working paper analyses the cost of living crisis through a livelihood lens: exploring what the implementation of UBS could mean for the cost of living crisis, and how it could ultimately work to secure livelihoods in the long-term.