Basic Food Hygiene Tips

Whether working in a professional kitchen or cooking in your own home, there are certain basic hygiene rules that should be followed. Some of these are outlined here.

Preparation for Cooking

One of the most important things to do is make sure you wash your hands thoroughly to rid them of any bacteria or other unwanted substances. Clean clothes should be worn while making food. You need to make sure jewellery and hair don’t get in the way while you are cooking and should remove any jewellery, and if you have long hair tie it back or use a hair net.

The cooking environment must be clean, so you should make sure any work surfaces you will be using, as well as kitchen equipment, is clean before you begin using them.

While Cooking

After doing anything other than cooking, including using the bathroom and sorting the bins out, you need to wash your hand again before you begin to handle food. You should also wash them after handling meat, fish or eggs to avoid the possibility of cross contamination or spreading bacteria.

It is important to make sure meat, fish, or anything containing eggs is cooked thoroughly; make sure it is cooked all the way through. This will reduce the possibility of food poisoning. Fruit and vegetable should be carefully washed before use. Do not use the same chopping boards for meat and other types of food.

Where necessary make sure food it fully defrosted before being cooked or eaten.

Food Storage

Don’t keep food for longer than is safe to do so. The period food is safe for varies widely depending on the type of food. Most food packaging contains information about this. Always check this before cooking or consuming a particular product. It is especially important that meat products are not used after their used by date. Never use eggs after the best before date as this could result in Salmonella poisoning.

Fridges and freezers need to be kept at a low temperature. A fridge should be below 5 degrees centigrade and a freezer below -18 degrees centigrade.

After Cooking

It may not be everyone’s idea of fun but after cooking everything needs to be cleaned up. All utensils that have been used to prepare a meal must be washed up in hot soapy water. All work surfaces that have been used should be thoroughly cleaned.

There may be food that you have not used to make a meal but you still want to keep. This should be fully covered. For some foods wrapping it in foil may suffice, but for others they may need to be kept in sealable, plastic containers. This is especially wise for meat and dairy products. Tins and packets containing food should not be left open in the fridge or cupboard. Food should be frozen or refrigerated where necessary.

Food hygiene is of crucial importance. It ensures that contamination and food poisoning is avoided. Although important, making sure you are cooking in a safe environment is relatively simple by following some basic rules of food safety.

Andrew Marshall (c)

The Benefits of a VPN

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a private network that uses a public network, such as the internet, to transfer data. It uses this to connect people and is a secure way of connecting to a network without being physically connected. A virtual network is where the connection does not use leased lines.

All kinds of organisations use VPN’s, including businesses, educational institutions and government organisations. It allows people to access the network wherever they are as long as they have access to the VPN client. The VPN client is the software that is installed onto a desktop or laptop computer and is used to connect to the virtual private network.

There are many benefits for organisations that choose to use a VPN.

By using a virtual private network users are able to connect to a network from remote locations. For a business’s employees this can be from other offices, from home, from a meeting or on the train. This can make employees more productive as they can work more efficiently or when they might otherwise be idle (for example on the train on the way to a business meeting). Employees are able to access files wherever they are as long as they have access. This means they can be just as productive as when in the office and don’t have to worry about making sure they have saved files remotely. They know they can access them whenever they need to.

Possibly the main reason for using a VPN is the security it offers. With so much data held on computer networks these days it means that network security is of crucial importance. Using a virtual private network will make a data transferred over the network, or across different networks, secure. It uses encryption so data can’t be easily interpreted. This means data is scrambled during transmission from one computer to another so it can’t be easily understood.

Everyone wants to save on costs, and a VPN can help achieve cost savings. Firstly, costs can be saved simply on the physical technology used. When using a VPN leased lines are not needed as they are with other networks. This is because connections are made using the internet. The internet is used instead of being physically connected using wires. Partly due to this, updating a VPN network is inexpensive.

Costs do not rise significantly as a network grows. So if an organisation grows and needs to expand their network the outlay is not particularly high. If needing to connect to a number of different locations other networks can be expensive, but with a VPN this isn’t the case. Setting up users or locations is much simpler.

Network performance can be improved when using a VPN. The bandwidth and efficiency of the network is generally higher than with other networks.

Virtual Private Networks are becoming more popular. They can be very beneficial, particularly to businesses. They can make employees more productive and keep down costs, two things that are of crucial importance to businesses.

Andrew Marshall (c)

Advantages of Property Investment

Property investment is an expensive business but there are many advantages and the potential for significant gains. This article explores the advantages of property investment.

Properties will always be valuable. If you invest in a business it can go bust but this isn’t really the case with property. Prices may change but people will always need homes. The demand for housing will never disappear, so the possibility of being able to sell an investment property will always be there. This is particularly the case at the moment with much of the UK suffering from a lack of housing.

A major plus of property investment compared to other forms of investing is that you can rent it out as its value increases. With most investments you have to sit back and wait before cashing in at a later date. With property investment you can be gaining an income in the form of rent, which can be used to pay the mortgage. So, as well as making money on the investment, you are making money on the rent.

Another thing that sets property apart from other investments is the possibility of obtaining a mortgage to pay for it. A high proportion of the money you need to invest in a property can be borrowed, meaning you don’t need a hundred percent of the capital.

With property there is less risk. It is very unlikely that a property’s value is suddenly going to be wiped out. There are fluctuations in the market but the value is almost always going to increase in the long term. Sometimes prices will rise quickly and sometimes less so, but it will usually rise over a period. Many properties are currently worth less than they were a few years ago (due to the current economy) but they are likely to grow again. The vast majority of properties will be worth more in five years time than they were five years ago. Patience may at times be required with property investment, but it will usually pay off in the end.

If you are looking for a very long term investment then property is the way to go. Over something like thirty years property will usually rise significantly. It may not rise as much in the future as it did between the 1960’s and the 1990’s, for example, but it will still rise significantly. Investing in just one property can for some produce enough returns for retirement. If it is possible to invest in several properties the possibilities are endless.

One disadvantage of investing in property is that it is an expensive investment. If only looking to invest a small amount then property isn’t for you. When investing in a business you can invest in a few shares (or even one share), but with property you are probably looking at a six figure sum. However, as already mentioned, you don’t need it all in cash; you can borrow it. Although the outlay may be a lot, for those who can afford it the return could be much more significant than other types of investment.

Many previously rundown areas have improved over time. Investing in such areas can be a good choice. It is a little risky as a lack of improvement could mean only a small return, or perhaps none at all. This means choosing the right area is of crucial importance. Many previously rundown areas have seen a dramatic change in fortunes and are now sought after areas to live in, with property prices having soared. Properties in such areas can be bought relatively cheaply.

Is now a good time to invest in property? The property market is not at its strongest at the moment but that doesn’t mean it is not a good time to invest. The immediate future is not easy to predict but property prices will eventually rise again. It is possible to buy for less than it was a few years ago, and that could make now the perfect time to invest. The rental market is strong at the moment with many looking for properties to rent so renting out properties is unlikely to be a problem.

Andrew Marshall (c)

Charitable Giving by Nation

It is not easy to establish which countries give more to charity as there are so many ways of giving. Some give money will others contribute time and assistance to good causes. Some countries give a lot to charity through governments and other schemes while in others it is individual people who give more.

Amongst people who give to charitable causes, they all give in different ways. Some give as a percentage of their salary (common in the US for religious causes). Some give regular, small amounts while others donate less often but larger amounts. The types of charities people give to also vary. Some prefer religious organisations (who then use if for a variety of causes). Others prefer local charities and small charities close to their heart. Some are emotionally affected by large natural disasters and give to related charities.

Percentage of Gross National Income (GNI)

The Gross National Income is the total amount every individual in a country earns. According to this measure, Northern European countries donate a higher percentage than any other part of the world. Sweden, Norway and Luxembourg give the most, all over 1% of their gross national income. They are followed by Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

Total Amount Donated

In theory highly populated countries are more likely to donate a large total. The highest populated countries, China and India, do not figure towards the top of the rankings, although the average wealth of people in those countries is not as high as much of the Western world. In terms of the total amount that is donated to charitable causes, the United States leads the way, followed by France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan.

The US are only 19th as a percentage of GNI but top it total amount, due to their larger population compared with those towards the top of the GNI table. France gives 0.46% of their GNI and is in 11th in the table, with Germany 15th and Japan 21st. Countries with smaller populations, such as Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium give less in total (as they are smaller countries) but more as a percentage of GNI.

Humanitarian Aid as a Percentage of GNI

The Middle Eastern countries are prominent in this table. Saudi Arabia is top (0.15% of GNI). Kuwait (0.15%) and the United Arab Emirates (0.04%) are also in the top ten. Luxembourg, Sweden and Denmark are second, third and fourth respectively in this table. The United States, Germany, Japan and Portugal make up the top ten.

Average Charitable Donations per Person

Luxembourg is the only country whose people give over $100 on average per year ($114). Norway is second ($96) and Sweden third ($66). Irish and Danish people also donate over $50 a year on average. The other nations in the top ten are the Netherlands, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Finland and Switzerland.

Time Given to Charitable Causes

In terms of time spent assisting good causes, North American’s give the most. Canadians give the most time followed by those from the United States. 25% of Canadians and 20% of American’s give their time.

World Giving Index

The World Giving Index is an index based on giving money to charity, volunteering time and helping strangers. Each country’s population is taken into consideration. The Australasian countries of Australia and New Zealand are the top two, followed by Ireland, Canada, Switzerland and the United States.

Andrew Marshall (c)

The Great Depression and its Causes

The Great Depression was the worldwide economic depression of the 1930’s. It was the longest and most widespread depression of the 20th century affecting the whole of the western world.

It originated in the United States when stock prices began to fall at the beginning of September 1929. The 29th October became known as Black Tuesday and was the point where the financial crises spread worldwide. This eventually led to a lack of consumer confidence. The general public were expecting deflation and didn’t want to spend until prices fell, which contributed to a struggling economy. People were also reluctant to borrow so they didn’t have as much to spend as they might have otherwise.

The Great Depression had a big effect on jobs. Businesses failed and new businesses weren’t starting up so there weren’t replacement jobs for those who became unemployed. Major industries such as automobiles and farming struggled, which resulted in mass unemployment. It also meant people had less money further increasing the economic downfall. Initially it was the US that suffered but it quickly impacted other areas.

Between 1929 and 1932 the United States’ foreign trade declined by 70% and industrial production fell by 46%. Unemployment increased massively; by 607%. Other countries such as Great Britain, France and Germany also suffered a lot, although not quite as much as the United States.

There are a number of things that may have caused or contributed to the beginning of the Great Depression. The main ones are outlined below:

Debt Inflation

Too much debt meant that the cost of debt increased. People and businesses who were in debt were put into spiralling problems as interest rates on borrowing increased. This had the eventual impact of banks failing because loans could not be paid back.

Disparities in Production and Incomes

The economy was producing more than it was able to sell because consumers didn’t have enough income to purchase everything that was being made. This was in part because of unequal distributions in wealth, meaning that many had no, or very little, disposable income. Although much was being produced there wasn’t an adequate market for these products. Large factories were producing endless product that they could not sell.

Structural Problems Within Financial Institutions

Banks and other financial institutions were not well positioned to cope with the financial crises. Much of this was connected to farming. Farm prices fell drastically in the late 20’s and interest rates went up just as dramatically. This put farmers, as well as the institutions they owed money to, in real trouble. Many, mostly small, banks specialised in farming and had major problems. It was not only small banks who were to blame though. Large banks failed to maintain adequate reserves. Too much lending and investing heavily in the stock market proved a major mistake. All this meant that in a tough economic situation banks were badly positioned.

Collapse of International Trade

After the First World War, many European nations owed large sums of money to the US. Despite much pressure, the US refused to forgive or reduce the debts. The only way these could be repaid was for these countries to borrow further. The US banks started loaning large amounts to Europe so they could repay their own debts to the US government. Once the Great Depression hit it was no longer possible for these countries to borrow from US banks meaning the whole situation got more out of control. This caused the European economies to collapse further.

Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act 1930

The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act raised tariffs on many goods imported into the United States, meaning higher taxes for importers. Many were against it, including Henry Ford. President Hoover was initially oppose but was convinced by his party and some business leaders. Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke out against the policy in his presidential campaign. The aim was to raise money and improve the economic situation in the US, but it had the opposite effect. Importers unsurprisingly began to pull out as it was no longer worth the cost. Other countries were unhappy with the policy with many boycotting the US and retaliating with their own policies by increase taxes on their own imports from America. All this meant fewer business exchanges between the US and other countries. Global trade was impacted and the world’s economy went further down hill.

Not everyone agrees as to the main cause of the Great Depression and it is likely that is was a combination of reasons. It began in late 1929 and it lasted throughout the 1930’s and it wasn’t until the early 1940’s that its affect was over.

Andrew Marshall (c)

The History of Southampton

Southampton is believed to have been inhabited since the Stone Age. It was once called Porth Hamon, after Lelius Hamo, a traitor who murdered the King during the Roman invasion of Britain. Much later, during the Anglo-Saxon period, the settlement grew into a relatively large settlement to the West of the Itchen River. This evolved into Hampton, which is where the country of Hampshire gets its name from. Its growth has continued to this day.

The Port and Docks

Southampton’s port has played an important role in the City’s history. It has been important for employment in the area, and has at times been crucial to imports into Britain and played its part in both World Wars.

It first came to prominence during the 13th Century, in part due to wine imports from France. Among noticeable departures from Southampton was the Mayflower’s sailing to the United States in 1620, then know as the “New World”.

The Southampton Docks Company was founded in 1835, with the docks opened in 1842. Largely due to this the railway link between the City and London opened in 1840. During this period the Southampton Docks became known as “The Gateway to the Empire” as it was seen as the main entrance point into the British Empire (this was before air travel).

In the Middle Ages shipbuilding became an important industry for Southampton, which continued to be the case into the present century. On 10th April 1912 the Titanic famously left Southampton for its maiden voyage that ended in disaster and the loss of 1,517 lives.

During World War 1 and World War 2 ships were built and repaired in Southampton. It was central to the preparation for the Invasion of Europe in 1944. During World War 2 it was attacked on numerous occasions killing 630 people in total and injuring over 2,000.

Southampton has been the home port of both the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth cruise liners.

Southampton’s Walls

In 1338 Southampton was attacked by France. This caused Edward III to order walls to be built to close the City in and avoid or limit the damage of further attacks. Its building was completed during the following century. Some of the walls still exist to this day as do some of the accompanying towers and gates.

Other Significant Moments in Southampton’s History

During the English Civil War of 1642-1651 Parliament Troops were stationed in Southampton. Royalists attempted to take the City and got close, but were eventually forced out. During Victorian times Southampton expanded significantly. Its population grew and much development occurred. In 1740 the City became a Spa town, with Spa’s built in the area that is now home to the West Quay Shopping Centre.

As mentioned earlier, World War 2 took its toll on Southampton. As well as the loss of life much of its buildings were damaged and large parts of it was levelled. A large amount of redevelopment has taken place since. Southampton currently has a population of around 235,000.

Andrew Marshall (c)

For Solicitors Southampton visit the Lester Aldridge website.

An Introduction to the Junior ISA

The Junior ISA will likely be launched in November 2011 and has in some ways been designed as a replacement for the Child Trust Fund, which was discontinued after the current government came to power.

What was the Child Trust Fund?

The Child Trust Fund was introduced by the previous Labour government to encourage saving on behalf of children. Parents were given a £250 CTF voucher when their child was born that they could invest in a choice of investment products. They were given another £250 voucher upon their child’s seventh birthday, although few reached this age before the scheme was discontinued. Parents were also able to invest up to £1,200 a year in the account, with interest gained on this plus the invested voucher. The idea was for children to then have access to the accumulated amount from their eighteenth birthday. This scheme will continue for children who already had a Child Trust Fund set up on their behalf but without the seven year payment from the government. This means that for the most part things won’t change for those who have a Child Trust Fund.

The Junior ISA

The Junior ISA will be in place of the Child Trust Fund. Children born before or after the period the Child Trust Fund was in operation for will be eligible. Parents won’t get the two payments from the government, therefore saving the government money, which was the main reason for the Child Trust Fund being scrapped.

The Junior ISA will offer tax free savings meaning a good opportunity for parents to save on behalf of their children so they have some funds to begin their adult life with. It will have many of the benefits of a regular ISA in terms of the tax free benefits. Accounts will be available from High Street Banks, Building Societies and other ISA Providers.

As with an adult ISA, investments will be able to be made into a Cash ISA or Stocks and Shares ISA according to parents’ preference. This can be split however parents see fit.

How Much can be Invested?

The amount parents will be able to invest will be increasing from the limit of the Child Trust Fund. It will likely increase from £1,200 to £3,000 a year. The reason there is a limit is so there isn’t a potentially endless amount of tax free savings.

The money will be locked into the account until a child turns eighteen. At this age the account will automatically become an adult ISA. It can then be withdrawn or can be invested in further according to the rules that apply to a regular ISA.

If parents are able to invest the full amount of around £3,000 a year, with interest it could be worth over £100,000 after eighteen years. Even for those who can’t afford to invest such a high amount a little each month could build up to a significant amount over an eighteen year period. Some have criticised the government for withdrawing the payment they contributed but over an eighteen year period the two £250 payments were only the equivalent to £28 a year or £2.32 a month.

Andrew Marshall (c)

Google Plus, Facebook and VoIP

Google Plus

Google has unveiled its new social networking site, Google Plus (or Google+), seemingly in an attempt to compete with social networking giant Facebook. One of the things it has done that isn’t currently possible with Facebook, is have in-built VoIP, meaning users will be able to have voice conversations through Google Plus. It allows people to create groups of friends called Hangouts, who will then be able to have one integrated voice conversation of up to ten people at a time. This isn’t currently even possible with Facebook’s instant text messaging service, which only allows for one-to-one conversations.

Facebook Voice Integration

Just after the unveiling of Google Plus, though, Facebook have made their own announcement concerning VoIP integration. They have done a deal with VoIP Provider, Skype, which is in the process of being bought by another of Google’s biggest rivals, Microsoft. The Skype-Microsoft merger still needs to be cleared by regulators but is almost certain to happen. The Facebook-Skype deal will allow Facebook to offer their users video and voice calling by integrating a Skype VoIP service on the Chat section of their website, where instant messaging is possible. This means that in future voice and video conversations will be possible through the world’s most successful social networking site.

Is the Timing a Coincidence?

So, is it a coincidence that Facebook have announced this just as Google make their own announcement? Or are they only trying to follow suit and make sure Google don’t get one over them? Well no, Facebook have been working on this for some time, although the timing of their announcement may not be such a coincidence.

Are Facebook Users Likely to Switch to Google Plus

There will inevitably be differing opinions as to the individual merits of each social networking site. Google are attempting to market their alterative as a social networking site with more choice of who sees what content. Users will be able to choose which of their “circle” of friends can see certain content. This could be seen as an attempt to have better privacy settings. It will be difficult for them to dislodge Facebook though. Facebook has become the default social networking site in much the same way as Google has become the default search engine. Even if Google Plus has certain advantages many are likely to stick with Facebook, partly because it is where many of their friends are. In terms of the voice option, Facebook announcing their agreement with Skype could limit the chances of users switching to Google Plus.

Is a Voice Option Something Users Want?

Are social networking sites something people will use to talk to family and friends, or do they just use the phone or regular VoIP for this? This is something we are at this stage unsure of. People often use text messaging instead of making a telephone call, and instant messaging could be the equivalent to text messaging with each platform’s VoIP system being the equivalent to a telephone call.

Exactly where the social networking battle will go from here is difficult to say. It will likely take some time for Google Plus to really eat into the Facebook market, but only time will tell.

Andrew Marshall (c)

How Interior Window Shutters Can Suit Whatever the Weather

There are many advantages of Interior Shutters. They bring an elegance to a home and add to its value. They are a great alternative to other window coverings such as the more common curtains or blinds.

One of the major advantages of interior window shutters is that they offer adjustability. If you have shutters installed, you can adjust the amount of light, air and heat coming through to suit the weather conditions.

Hot and Humid

In extreme heat you may want to protect your home from the blistering sun and the humidity. Keeping the window closed will be preferable to keep the humidity out (especially if you have air conditioning). Keeping the shutter louvres closed, meanwhile, will protect from the sun.

Hot and Sunny, but not Humid

If it is hot and sunny, but without the humidity, then you might want to let more air in to keep the room as cool as possible. The louvres could be closed to some extent to protect against the brightness of the sun. It comes down to personal preference whether you would like the sun blocked out altogether or would like some sunlight coming in. The louvres can be adjusted as appropriate, either being completely closed or partly closed.

Hot and Overcast

If it is overcast sunlight doesn’t present a problem. The warm weather might mean wanting to let air in, and without the sunlight you will be able to have the shutters open. With the windows open this could let in the maximum amount of air possible.

Hot and Raining

Again, the warm weather might mean wanting to let air into the home. Depending on the rain, though, you won’t want your home getting wet. You can adjust both how open the window is and the shutters to get the appropriate balance.

Cool and Sunny

In cool weather you are likely to want the window closed. If it is sunny, you might prefer not too much sunlight to be coming through. You could therefore close the shutters completely or open the louvres to let in the preferable amount of light.

Cool and Cloudy

If it is cool and cloudy you might want to let in the full amount of light possible. You can therefore have the shutters completely open as sunlight won’t be a problem. In extreme cold weather, on the other hand, you might want to insulate against the cold. With thick wooden shutters, especially solid shutters, you can achieve more insulation by having the shutters closed.

As can be seen from reading the above, depending on the weather conditions shutters, as well as windows themselves, can be adjusted as appropriate to let in the optimum amount of sunlight, air and heat. Obviously some of this come down to personal preferences; some people prefer it hot while others prefer it cooler, and some prefer to protect against the sun while other love it. This means that whatever the weather is doing you can create an atmosphere in your home that suits.

Andrew Marshall (c)

Divorced Fathers and the Influence of their Relationship with Children

When parent’s divorce, the relationship each parent has with their children can have a significant influence on their lives. This article looks at the importance and influence of a child’s relationship with his/her Father if he no longer lives in the family home.

In the UK around 9 in 10 single resident parents are female, meaning after divorce many children do not have daily contact with their Father. There is evidence to suggest that around a quarter of children never see a parent they don’t live with.

Just because a Father does not live with his children does not mean the relationship is not an important one. It is generally see as important that boys have a positive role model to look up to; a role that should be taken on by his Father. Whether or not this influence exists, as well as the nature of this influence, it can have an impact on a child’s behaviour as an adult.

There are potential negative impacts on a boy if his Father is not around, especially if there is no positive male influence in his life. As he doesn’t have a male role model he may not understand how he should behave. If in a female dominated household (possible with his Mother and Sisters) he may feel like he doesn’t have anyone to talk to about certain issues; that there is no-one who can understand his feelings. This can cause behavioural and other problems. It has been suggested that having no Father around can increase the chances of depression.

The issues for boys not having a Father figure may be more obvious, but it can also be important for girls. It can impact their relationships with men in the future. Not being in regular contact with a man means that a girl may not have the same understanding of female-male relationships as they might otherwise have.

Some studies have shown that the behaviour of boys is worse where there is no relationship with a Father. They are more likely to behave worse at school, more likely to turn to alcohol and drugs and more likely to commit a criminal offence. Of course, this doesn’t mean any child whose Father is not around will have these problems, but they are more common amongst Fatherless children than for children whose Father’s are in regular contact with them.

It is not just whether a Father is around that is important but the quality of the relationship and the specific influence he has. How much time they spend together is important; whether they have weekly contact or only see each other once in a blue moon. Children need someone to talk to about their problems so it is important that a Father is someone they can talk to, especially as there are issues that may require a male point of view.

If a Fathers influence is negative, on the other hand, then a relationship between Father and child is not necessarily a good thing. For example with a Son, negative behaviour from a Father may give them an idea of how to behave, but not the right way to behave. It may make certain unacceptable behaviour seem acceptable.

Children tend to want both of their parents involved in their lives. Some studies have reported that most children with separated parents think that the main negative influence of the breakup of their parents’ relationship is losing or having less contact with their Father. The vast majority want contact with their Father, this goes for both those who currently do have contact and those who do not.

How do step-Fathers come into this? Perhaps not surprisingly, evidence shows that relationships between step-Fathers and children are less close than between biological Fathers and their children. However in many cases it can grow into a positive relationship, they can become a positive role model. As with a biological Father, a relationship between a step-Father and children can influence their behaviour both negatively and positively.

Andrew Marshall (c)

Bross Bennet are Divorce Solicitors London.


Steel and Shamash are Family Law Solicitors.

Earnings and the Minimum Standard of Living

According to research carried out by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, in 2011 families will need to earn 20% more than they did in 2010 to achieve the minimum acceptable standard of living.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation looked into how much different categories of people need to earn to achieve what is considered an acceptable standard of living. It suggests that a couple with two children would need to earn on average £18,400 each (£36,800 between them) if they both work, or if only one is working s(he) needs to earn £31,600. To achieve this standard of living single people need to earn £15,000 and a lone parent with one child £18,200.

Exactly how much is needed is a fairly ambiguous debate as different people have different opinions as to what is a “minimum” standard of living, as well as what is realistic. The part of the country that someone lives in is also relevant. For example, this research takes rent as being for a council house / flat, and it is not realistic for everyone earning the amounts outlined above to be entitled to a council property. In reality many will need to pay double this amount in rent (adding between £3,000 and £5,000 a year in rent alone).

So, what is the definition of the minimum standard of living?

According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s research it includes UK holidays (but not holidays abroad), Christmas present, basic mobile phones, and a computer and the internet. It doesn’t, however, include child care, something that is essential for families where both parents are working or single parent families where the lone parent is working. The basics that are included are things such as food, clothes, accommodation, utilities, fuel, household goods, personal goods and services, transport, and social and cultural activities.

An adequate standard of living has been described as, “a minimum in Britain today includes, but is more than just, food, clothes and shelter. It is about having what you need in order to have the opportunities and choices necessary to participate in society”.

It can be a little complex. It is sometimes hard to draw a line between what someone needs and wants. For example, UK holidays are included but you don’t need a holiday to survive. Bizarrely the minimum standard of living has been described as including “film tickets, a bottle of wine and a bird feeder”. These are also not essential for survival. Some may argue that the internet and a car are far from essential. Others would argue that the only way they can get to work is by driving and that they need the internet to do their job, thus making is essential for their particular circumstances. The standard of living could be described as being what you need for a relatively comfortable lifestyle.

The cost of living (especially amongst low and middle earners) is generally thought to be increasing. A basic basket of food has risen by 43% in the last 10 years, significantly more than wages. Other things, such as housing and fuel have also risen over this period.

Andrew Marshall (c)