Four in 10 Londoners unable to live with dignity - report

The report found that 48% of London's children live in a household with an income below what is needed for a "basic standard of living"

About four in 10 Londoners are unable to afford to "live with dignity", new research has revealed.

A report funded by the A report funded by the Trust for London has found that more than 3.5m Londoners have an income below what is needed for a "basic standard of living".

Manny Hothi, the trust's chief executive, said that economic forces were "crushing" people.

The government said that ministers "have a plan to halve inflation".

It added that "record financial support" was being provided.

The analysis, carried out by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, found that Londoners needed to earn substantially more to achieve a minimum standard of living, amid rising food and energy costs.

It found that London renters make up 74% of those living under the minimum income standard.

And 48% of London's children live below the standard, compared to 40% in the UK.

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Matt Padley, lead author, said: "It's clear that meeting this decent standard of living is just not possible for lots of people living in the capital and this means having to make difficult choices about what to prioritise."

A government spokesman said: "We have raised benefits including Universal Credit in line with inflation, increased the National Living Wage and are helping households with food, energy and other essential costs.

"We are helping millions more return to work with a £3.5bn package providing more work coach support and more help for the sick and disabled."

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