Since 2003, long before the 2008-09 recession, middle wages in Britain have been flat. The share of GDP going to those on low to middle income has seen a long term decline, and the tax-benefit system is doing more to raise household income. Other trends, from the rising costs of home ownership to changing working patterns, add to a set of pressures that are fundamentally changing the reality of life on low to middle income.

In response to these new and surprising challenges, the Resolution Foundation is hosting the Commission on Living Standards, a major investigation into the causes and consequences of the economic decline of low to middle income Britain. Read more

Features and guides:

UK pay: winners and losers

Learn how Britain’s earnings changed between 1975 and 2010. See how much annual pay increased or decreased during any given period, and find out when was best for the richest and poorest groups

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Where do I stand?

Discover how UK income is spread out and where you stand economically in relation to other UK households. You can interactively see the impact of having a larger or smaller household, and compare alternative scenarios with your own

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Key Issues

Jobs and pay
How have changes in our jobs market undermined the economic position of ordinary workers, and what can we do about them?

Taxes and benefits
How does our tax-benefit system help or hinder households in this group - what should be our priorities for reform?

The cost of living
How have living costs changed over time, and is there more we could do to help people manage?

Assets and debt
Our housing and credit markets have changed dramatically in recent years. How can we support living standards through sustainable saving and borrowing?

Working patterns
New ways of working have helped to boost living standards. How can we better support people to raise their living standards through work?