2008 Minimum Essential Standard of Living

The following is presented for each household:

• The cost of a Minimum Essential Standard of living for full-time worker without entitlements to secondary benefits (the costs of housing and car ownership are excluded)
• The expenditure for specific households in the same category
• Details of total weekly income and expenditure for each household and the weekly shortfall or discretionary income.

• Two adults and two children (3 year old and 10 year old)
• Two adults and two children (10 year old and 15 year old)
• One adult and two children (3 year old and a 10 year old)
• (A) Pensioner couple Contributory pension (age 66-69)
• (B) Pensioner couple Non-Contributory pension (age 66-69)
• Lone female pensioner (age 70+)
• Single adult male (age 25+)

2008 figures

The findings of the 2007 update of the 2006 'Minimum Essential Budgets for Six Households' study were updated for 2008 to allow for changes in social welfare payments, threshold levels and changes in taxation. Inflation for each expenditure category from Mid June 2007 - Mid June 2008 was also taken into account when updating the study.

*Please note that the 2008 figures were recently updated to cover the inflation period mid June 2007-mid June 2008. The previous 2008 figures on the website covered the inflation period mid June 2008-mid March 2008.

For Further Information

For more information on the budget standards process and the contents of the 13/14 expenditure categories, see Minimum Essential Budgets for Six Households 2006 pages 40-43 (publications)