Cost of Living Research Group
The University of York has a long tradition of groundbreaking research on poverty, inequality, social justice, social policy and politics.
Today as a University for Public Good, we are bringing together our expertise from across the University to focus on the drivers of the cost of living, and its impact on the wellbeing of people and communities.
We work across a wide range of issues, supported by The York Policy Engine with funding from Research England. Our people and projects shape policy locally, regionally and nationally. Alongside our efforts as an academic community, the University of York is also supporting students and staff through the 2022/2023 cost of living crisis.
These pages provide further information about who we are, our research projects and our blogs.
Read our news and blogs
in food poverty in September 2022, up 50 per cent from April 2022.
The Food Foundation, 2022
in fuel stress by April 2023.
Child Poverty Action Group, 2022
stressed by financial situation
MetLife, 2022

Explore our projects
- Fuel poverty estimates and predictions for UK households
- Winter 2022 cost of living crisis and mental health survey, UK and France
- Changing Realities - a study of families and carers on low incomes
- Larger Families - lived experiences of the benefits cap
- Supporting the All Parliamentary Group Child of the North
- Monitoring Financial Inclusion in the UK
- Fair climate policies within the context of poverty and social exclusion
- Food insecurity, ethnicity and mental health
We are also conducting research on the following topics:
- Local Authority surveys - how councils and councillors are responding
- Homelessness
- The changing face of UK poverty
- Statistics on cold-related hospital admissions and excess winter deaths
increase in homelessness from January to March 2022 compared to last year.
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, 2022
deaths due to the cold each year in England and Wales.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2015
Our publications

Who we are
The York Cost of Living Research Group work within the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Sciences and across the research themes of Justice and Equality and Health and Wellbeing.
Many of the group are also on Twitter:
- @ProfKEPickett - Professor Kate Pickett
- @ProfJBradshaw - Emeritus Professor Jonathan Bradshaw
- @KBloor - Professor Karen Bloor
- @madeleinepower - Dr Maddy Power
- @ruthpatrick0 - Dr Ruth Patrick
- @Carolyn_snell - Dr Carolyn Snell
- @NicholasPleace - Professor Nicholas Pleace
- @KarenRowlingson - Professor Karen Rowlingson
- @Bryant73J - Professor Maria Bryant
- @emma_tominey - Professor Emma Tominey