Review of access to essential services: Financial inclusion and utilities
Article
We deal with each policy area in separate sections of the report and our focus is on providing statistical and other evidence about the extent of exclusion and inequalities, and how this plays out across the different equality groups.
Financial exclusion refers to the inability, difficulty or reluctance to access appropriate mainstream financial services. The effects can include an inability to take part in day-to-day financial transactions; the inability to cope with unexpected events or planned lifestyle changes; and having to pay more for certain products and services.
Given the essentially universal provision of energy and water services in the UK, the central issue when it comes to equality in the utilities is cost and affordability. In recent years, the primary concern has been around fuel poverty and the serious negative effects this can have on the health and well-being of certain groups.
Related items
Supporting the status quo: How the taxation of wealth in the UK grows regional divides
The new government’s primary mission is to deliver economic growth, rooted in an ambition for prosperity and opportunity to be accessible across the UK.Driving 'natural' renewal: The progressive case for restoring the natural environment
Our natural environment is in crisis, and nature in this country is currently in a state of managed decline.Plugged in: Accelerating the electrification of road transport
The new government has been elected with a mandate to deliver ambitious climate action.