Minimum Income Standard
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WQ.157/2026
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BY DEPUTY L.M.C. DOUBLET OF ST. SAVIOUR
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 14th SEPTEMBER 2026 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 21st SEPTEMBER 2026
Question
"Will the Minister provide details of the work being undertaken into minimum income standards, cited in the Budget (Government Plan) 2025-2028 and started in 2025 by the Cost of Li ving Ministerial Group, such information to include, but not be limited to –
- key dates for completion of the investigation;
- what information the Council of Ministers has received so far;
- when any results will be published;
- whether the study is being used to inform the upcoming Budget; and
- what household type categories are being used for financial modelling and the key information learnt about minimum income standards for each of those categories?"
Answer
The Minimum Income Standard work was commissioned to Loughborough University who are seen as leading experts in this field. The work was originally due to be completed over the summer period 2026, however, there has been a slight delay to this, and Loughborough are now aiming to complete in the autumn 2026. Field work has been completed and currently the costing collections are being finalised. The outcomes of this work will be published in due course.
Ministers within the Department for the Economy have received updates on the timelines and delivery of the project. The Budget is currently being agreed for 2027, and work will then start on the Budget for the following three-year period. The information collected by Loughborough will give Ministers a new data set to help inform any future decisions.
Following discussions, expert advice, Scrutiny feedback and Ministerial input, the household categories have been chosen to reflect the Island's demographics, support evidence-based policy development, and ensure the results of this work are as meaningful and informative as possible.