Our publications

Below are some of our recent publications, to see more please select a specific year.

Older publications

Retirement Living Standards in the UK: 2025 update The latest report in the Retirement Living Standards (RLS) annual series, sets out what is needed for a minimum, moderate and comfortable standard of living in retirement in 2025. It reviews the impact of updating all RLS through changes in prices, as captured through changes in the Consumer Prices Index between April 2024 and April 2025. It also highlights the potential impact of housing costs on what is needed to reach each of the RLS. Where retired households do face ongoing, direct housing costs – such as rent or mortgage payments – throughout retirement, this has a dramatic impact on both the adequacy of existing incomes and on the amount that households might need over the whole period of retirement. Padley, M. and Ellis, W. (2026) Retirement Living Standards in the UK: 2025 update. London: Pensions UK

Retirement Living Standards in the UK: 2024 update This short update report provides detail on the key budget areas that make up the Retirement Living Standards (RLS), setting out what is needed in 2024 at a minimum, moderate and comfortable standard of living. It reviews the impact of updating the moderate and comfortable RLS through changes in prices captured through the Consumer Prices Index between April 2023 and April 2024. It also sets out the key changes in the minimum retirement living standard resulting from new Minimum Income Standard (MIS) research on what is needed for a minimum socially acceptable standard of living published in 2024. Padley, M., Ellis, W. and Balchin, E. (2025) Retirement Living Standards in the UK; 2024 update. London: Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association

The Cost of a Child in Scotland 2025 CPAG’s annual Cost of a Child report looks at how much it costs families to provide a minimum socially acceptable standard of living for their children. It is calculated using the Minimum Income Standard (MIS) research, carried out by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The cost of a child in Scotland 2025 (2025) Edinburgh: Child Poverty Action Group Scotland

Characteristics and population estimates of unpaid end of life carers: An observational study Gardiner, C, Juet, A, Webb, EJD, Stone, J (2025) Characteristics and population estimates of unpaid end of life carers: An observational study, Palliative Medicine, 39(10), pp.1091-1098, ISSN: 0269-2163. DOI: 10.1177/02692163251366090.

A Minimum Income Standard for London 2025 This latest Minimum Income Standard for London consulted working-age adults, pensioners and parents to find out what the public agree is needed for an acceptable living standard in the capital. People living in London agree that accessing social housing is no longer a realistic expectation for any household. Consequently, for the first time, a minimum standard of living in London now assumes that all households must rely on the private rental market. This significantly drives up housing costs which were already much higher in the capital than in other urban areas of the UK. Nearly 4 million households in London do not have enough income for a decent, dignified standard of living. Blackwell, C., Padley, M., Ellis, W., Balchin, E., Stone, J., Robinson, E. and Davis, A. (2026) A Minimum Income Standard for London 2025. London: Trust for London.