The FBU was orginally set up to contest what the UK government suggested
was the minimum income required for living. In that sense it was very
successful. For example, original UK government recommendations for a
what a nutrient-led food budget should look like included suggestions
such as 'half an egg' for a single person. Who buys half an egg?
These budgets were the first to contest that kind of approach by
recognising what people really eat. They do this by looking at data
from, for example, the national food survey (now part of family
expenditure survey). When setting minimum standards there are always
problems however they do serve as a useful guide to what we should never
fall below.
Would anyone contest the 'Living Wage' in a similar way?
Steve
Pamela Shurmer-Smith wrote:
> I've always hated these recommendations to "the poor" as to how they
> should spend their money (and even whether they are allowed to think of
> themselves as poor). How much do a managerial hierarchy of "experts"
> earn "advising" those without much money how to spend it?
>
> Out of morbid interest I looked at my household's "modest but adequate"
> budget (or perhaps one ought to say "freezing and cheerless") and was
> interested to find that if my partner and I opt for the "food without
> alcohol" version that will cost us 43.85 pounds a week, whereas the
> "food with alcohol" will cost us 45.39 - presumably the non-drinkers are
> encouraged to make up with Mars Bars? We're still expected to cough up
> our charitable donations, even though we're supposed to be this frugal
> old retired couple (grateful not to be in separate wings of the workhouse?)
>
> Pam Shurmer-Smith
> National University of Singapore
>
> */Steve Cummins <[log in to unmask]>/* wrote:
>
> Dear John
>
> The Family Budget Unit at York produces 'modest but adequate' and 'low
> cost but acceptable' household budgets for a range of family types
> split
> by what is needed by household eg fuel, food, clothing etc..
>
> http://www.york.ac.uk/res/fbu/
>
> Best
> Steve
>
> Pickerill, Dr J. wrote:
> > Dear all
> >
> > I work with a group in Wales trying to establish a large-scale
> > eco-village (Lammas - www.lammas.org.uk ).
> > They are putting together a planning application and need some help,
> > beyond what I can offer.
> >
> > "As part of the planning application we need to evaluate the
> proportion
> > of household needs met from the land by each household. As part
> of that
> > calculation we need to quantify in £pounds each households annual
> food
> > needs and annual clothing needs. We are trying to format a common
> > approach and so we have been batting around figures amongst
> ourselves
> > for this. However we may well need to back these up. Can you help
> us? We
> > have been assuming that we are seeking an annual figure for
> adults and a
> > figure for children, though it may be the case that there should
> be more
> > categories. For example to feed a 1 year old is quite different
> to a 14
> > year old. Either way some kind of solid foundations/ basis for the
> > figures would be really useful. I would like to emphasise that it is
> > needs rather than consumption. For example Green and Blacks
> chocolate
> > and M&S silk stockings are not necessarily needs!"
> >
> > Would anyone be willing to give them a hand? does anyone have any
> > expertise in this area? or could anyone point me in the direction
> of any
> > literature we could use? Get back to me if so.
> >
> > Thanks
> > jenny
> > -------------------------------
> > Dr Jenny Pickerill
> > Lecturer in Human Geography
> >
> > Department of Geography
> > University of Leicester
> > University Road
> > Leicester
> > LE1 7RH
> > UK
> >
> > work: +44 (0)116 252 3836
> > fax: +44 (0)116 252 3854
> > email: [log in to unmask]
> > web: www.jennypickerill.info
> > Autonomous Geographies project: _www.autonomousgeographies.org
> > _
> > Lammas low impact settlement project: __www.lammas.org.uk__
> > __
> > --------------------------
>
> --
> Steven Cummins MSc PhD
> MRC Fellow
> Department of Geography
> Queen Mary, University of London
> Mile End Road
> London E1 4NS
>
> T: 44 020 7882 7653
> F: 44 020 8981 6276
> E: [log in to unmask]
>
> W: http://www.geog.qmul.ac.uk/staff/cummins.html
>
>
>
>
> Pamela Shurmer-Smith
> Portsmouth
> UK
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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--
Steven Cummins MSc PhD
MRC Fellow
Department of Geography
Queen Mary, University of London
Mile End Road
London E1 4NS
T: 44 020 7882 7653
F: 44 020 8981 6276
E: [log in to unmask]
W: http://www.geog.qmul.ac.uk/staff/cummins.html
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