Loneliness is the theme of this year’s #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek. Liz Emerson, IF Co-founder, lays out IF’s research into young people’s loneliness and explains why greater investment in earlier mental health interventions is needed. A decade in the making For more than a decade the Intergenerational Foundation (IF) has researched the plight of young people. In 9… Read more »
Category: Social issues
Should Housing Association tenants have the right to buy?
Recent reports have suggested that the UK government is considering an extension of the Right to Buy to housing association homes. IF Co-Founder Angus Hanton considers how this would affect the UK’s already-skewed housing market, how it would interact with the housing crisis and how it might impact future generations in the UK. The sale… Read more »
Local elections – will you vote?
Many areas of the England, Scotland and Wales will have local elections tomorrow, 5th May. With turnout historically very low, particularly among younger people, Liz Emerson, IF Co-founder, investigates what issues younger generations can influence locally and why voting locally matters. What does your local councillor do? Local councils are responsible for a wide range… Read more »
Two years of COVID-19: the pandemic, young people and what next?
Almost two years have passed since COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency by the WHO. IF’s digital campaigns officer Liam Hill analyses how the pandemic, the lockdowns and other restrictions have affected young people in the UK, and asks what can be done to address the issues they face. Two years of turmoil It… Read more »
Ageism through the ages and the wellbeing of future generations
The United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing recently launched a campaign aimed at raising awareness of problems of ageism. IF Student Intern, Hanna Burt, considers the suggestions made, and discusses how they could be put into practice in the UK. Global Report on Ageism The United Nations has for the first time expanded the definition… Read more »
The social care cap and the intergenerational contract
On 7 September 2021, the government announced reforms to the social care system in order to provide more support to people with fewer financial resources. A recent announcement on 17 November 2021 casts doubt on whether these reforms will be worth the costs borne by younger generations. John Hobby, IF researcher, investigates whether this is… Read more »
COP26: how youth voice can generate sustainable public policy in a time of crisis
Professor of Politics at Royal Holloway James Sloam argues that the failure to encourage youth participation in the policy-making process marks a key failure of both COP26 and public policy in general. It has failed younger generations, and led to reactive and unsustainable policy towards climate change and a whole host of related issues. Youth… Read more »
Rise in National Living Wage not enough to help younger people
The government announced a rise in the National Living Wage this week, presenting it as a win for lower-paid working people. Lizzie Simpson, IF Researcher, discusses the details of this rise in the context of inflation and rising costs of living, and questions the merit of the UK’s age-based minimum wage system. Changes to the… Read more »
One million children could be missing out on free school meals
New research suggests that 1 million children could be missing out on free school meals. Liz Emerson, IF Co-founder, explains why this is yet another intergenerational unfairness facing younger generations. Free School Meals According to a new report by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), in partnership with Birmingham and York Universities, 1 million children… Read more »
Overqualified and underemployed: a sombre snapshot of the labour market for young people
Graduates are leaving university with scant prospects, feeling let down by policy-makers and waking up to the generational divide. Carlotta Hartmann, IF Intern, investigates the labour market pressures facing young Brits today Graduates feeling let down Young people across OECD countries have been disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to… Read more »