The standard of living for the UK population has worsened since the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, combined with Brexit.
The country is still reeling in the aftermath of these two unprecedented events, according to some young people on Merseyside.
All demographics within the UK were affected by this struggle. One group being young adults aged 18-25 studying in further education such as University or apprenticeships.
The wage for apprenticeships starting out is a low as £4.81 an hour, with it going up as the apprenticeship advances further down its course. This limits the individual to financial freedom which overall lowers their standard of living.
Ellie Hubbard 20 from Leigh on Sea in Essex described what it’s like to live on an apprenticeship payslip, “As a 20 year old I struggle with my payslip, I’d like to move out and be independent but I have to pay for my car, the insurance, petrol, rent to my parents and all other bits I have to pay for, I find it hard to have a social life because I don’t have the money to go out and do other things.”
However, Freya Duchars, 23 from Douglas Isle of Man had a different experience with her apprenticeship within the NHS, “I am happy with my choice, I had the option to do it as a full-time master’s course but think the way I’m doing it is way more preferable. Luckily, it’s paid as it is with the NHS, I get paid the equivalent of a healthcare assistant so I’ve found I’ve been okay with my payslip so far; however, this may have been different if I lived alone and was only on a single income for rent as there is 2 of us.”
Similarly for University students their standard of living is affected by numerous different factors, one of the most prominent being environment. Do students get efficient treatment from landlords when renting property?
Isabella Mann-Jimenez 21 a recent graduate from University of Liverpool described her overall standard of living as, “really poor, our house was mouldy with holes in the wall where mice came in and in general a very poor standard of living considering the prices we were paying.”.
When Isabella was asked what specific aspects of living, she prioritized when living at university she said, “We prioritised cleanliness and getting the holes in the walls filled up as we when we moved in the house it was completely filthy and we had a really difficult time getting landlords to fix it.”
My standard of living is reasonably high
Lauren Cowley, 22, a recent graduate from Leeds Beckett University said, “I would say my standard of living is reasonably high, I have a nice home with lots of things I’m sure a lot of other people don’t.
“The factors I would consider when determining standard of living would be the quality of the home I live in for example if the wallpaper was peeling or if there were any structural issues with the house. I had issues with my landlord when I was at university with maintaining the property to a good standard.”
A property company in Liverpool was asked to comment on the situation but did not provide one.
Everyone will have different experiences in beginning to fend for themselves. However, the standard of living regardless of what age you are should always be up to a good enough standard. With wages high enough to comfortably live of and property that is of a high standard without having to hassle your landlord to fix it.
Featured image: Thea Graham
Featured image: Sadie Gilbert
