Women and Equalities Committee questions charities and support groups on the impact of the rising cost of living on women
The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) will take evidence on Wednesday, 6 December from charities and support groups on how rising costs are affecting women, particularly those with childcaring responsibilities.
WEC launched an inquiry in September 2023 to examine the impact of the rising cost of living on women, as households continue to come under pressure from increased costs.
During the inquiry’s first evidence session, MPs on the cross-party committee will initially hear from representatives of women’s centres and programmes supporting women and their families, who can provide insights on women’s experiences in different parts of the country.
Meeting details
The first panel includes: Nottingham Women’s Centre, Lancashire Women and Lambeth Early Action Partnership, which is one of five A Better Start partnerships. The second panel is made up of the Women’s Budget Group, plus national charities Gingerbread and StepChange which focus on supporting single parents and helping people to manage debt.
The evidence session will explore what financial pressures women are facing since the pandemic and their impact on women’s mental and physical well-being, whether particular groups of women are struggling and if there are regional variations in women’s experiences. The session will also examine issues relating to debt, child maintenance and the adequacy of current Government support.
In February 2023, the Committee heard from people with disabilities and unpaid carers on how they were managing with cost-of-living increases. That evidence will inform this inquiry. The inquiry is considering how the rise in the cost of living could exacerbate existing inequalities and what steps the Government and other stakeholders, including different sectors of the economy, could take in response.