As the UK’s capital and one of the world’s most vibrant cities, London leads progress in many areas. However, people on low incomes in the city continue to experience significant cost of living challenges. Whilst London’s dynamic economy supports investment across the country, there are more children living in poverty in the capital than in any other region. Every single London borough has a higher proportion of households living in temporary accommodation than the average in the rest of England.

To better understand the issues facing Londoners on low incomes, and help ensure our tenants’ voices are heard, Peabody began publishing the Peabody Index in June 2018. Since this first edition, the Index has tracked the experiences of social housing tenants throughout the pandemic, making evidence-based recommendations to policy-makers and others.

Learning and Work Institute are pleased to begin a new partnership with Peabody to provide analysis of public datasets and identify trends for London and the UK. Through our employment- expertise and Better Work Network, we aim to direct this research to the heart of what matters for supporting Londoners into stable employment that pays a real living wage. This analysis draws on data from a wide range of sources including the Labour Force Survey, Living Costs and Food Survey and Greater London Authority. We track and analyse changes in incomes, employment and living costs for low-income Londoners to provide an evidence base to inform policy debates.