https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/painful-years-ahead-think-tanks-warn-as-living-standards-set-to-fallContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/painful-years-ahead-think-tanks-warn-as-living-standards-set-to-fallhttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/painful-years-ahead-think-tanks-warn-as-living-standards-set-to-fall#u174261Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:15:40 +0000Major economic think tanks warn that Britons face a painful and depressing few years as living standards flatline and disposable incomes drop. Budget forecasts show economic growth grinding almost to a halt, driven by higher inflation, slower growth, and weaker household income gains. The Office for Budget Responsibility notes that elevated energy prices strain living standards while complicating government borrowing plans. Meanwhile, the Institute for Fiscal Studies cautions that debt and growth problems remain, creating an unprecedented squeeze on household incomes that marks the worst decad