A study conducted by the anti-poverty campaigners has established that changes made to various benefit payments mean a family of four will be approximately £221 short of the figure needed to experience an acceptable standard of living in the year 2020.
The research, which examined various sectors of society, established that while pensioners will have £15 more per week than the minimum level, lone parents and families with two or more children will experience a decline in living standards.
These estimated changes in living standards come as a result of Budget announcements which include cuts to benefits such as tax credits and the introduction of a National Living Wage.
Commenting on the impact the National Living Wage will have, chief executive for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Julia Unwin, said: "The wage rise comes hand in hand with changes to in and out of work benefits."
Elaborating on the point, she continued: "Families will only be able to make ends meet if they have two parents in full-time work, but those who are able to find extra work will face a difficult juggling act as they try and make longer hours fit around family life."
Highlighting the full scale of the future situation, she explained: "Lone parents, even those working full time, and people who are searching for work face a decade of sharply declining living standards."
The figures are based on the foundation's estimate of an acceptable income level.
