Fuel and travel costs are pushing prices up again
Thursday 5 November 2026
Inflation has risen to 3.1%, meaning everyday spending is getting more expensive just as household budgets are already under pressure.
Means testing
Checking a person's income and sometimes savings to decide whether they qualify for help or how much they receive.
What it means
A means test looks at a person's financial circumstances before deciding whether they can get a payment or service, and sometimes how much. Depending on the scheme, it may count a partner's income, savings and other resources too. A means-tested benefit is not necessarily limited to people who are out of work: someone with a low-paid job may also qualify. Each scheme has its own rules, so income alone does not tell you exactly what someone will get.
Example
Two households with otherwise similar circumstances apply for the same means-tested benefit. If one has more earnings or savings, it might receive less or not qualify. Their exact entitlements depend on that benefit's rules.
Why it matters
Means testing affects who gets support and how a rise in earnings or savings might change the amount they receive.
Also known as
means test
Related terms
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Disposable household income
Money a household receives after direct taxes have been taken off and cash benefits have been added.
Read more -
Fiscal policy
Government decisions about taxes, spending and borrowing.
Read more -
Relative poverty
Having a household income below a set share of what the middle household receives in the same year.
Read more
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News
Highlights from about the UK economy, the UK government and the UK public sector.
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A higher energy price cap means many households will be paying more to heat and power their homes during the colder months.
Guides and insights
Analysis
Clear, accessible analysis of the economic issues shaping everyday life
Living standards
What does a day’s work buy?
Comparing the cost of everyday life across generations, from bread and beer to buying a home.
Food & prices
The journey behind your grocery bill
How farming, energy, transport and supermarket competition shape the price on the shelf.
Prices & inflation
Inflation is falling. What happens next?
What slower price rises mean for wages, purchasing power and economic recovery.
Shared prosperity
What would shared prosperity look like?
Beyond GDP: how we could measure economic success through security, opportunity and living standards.
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