Reference Budgets

Reference Budgets for Social Inclusion

Reference budgets are expenditure patterns for different types of households to live on a designated level of well-being. Given the household composition, the disposable income and some other characteristics (like housing situation, possession of a car), an expenditure pattern is given that suits the situation of the individual household. They can be based on empirical data or constructed by budget experts. Reference budgets have been developed in various countries across Europe in the last few years and they are used for a variety of aims, including money and debt advice, poverty measurement, budget information, credit scores and purchasing power calculations.

NEWS

What Is the Cost of Living in Finland?

Reference Budgets for a Decent Minimum Standard of Living in Finland published. Reference budgets were produced for four types of household: that of a family with two children (aged four and 10), a childless middle-aged couple, a single person under the age of 45, and a single person over 65. For single persons, separate budgets were prepared for men and women.

New folder published

A new folder named "Reference Budgets for Social Inclusion" gives an overview what Reference Budgets are and why we need them.

Just click and have a look!

The folder is also available in German.

Handbooks of Reference Budgets published

Nibud, the National Institute for Budget Information of the Netherlands, has produced a "Handbook on Reference Budgets. On the design, construction and application of Reference Budgets". This handbook can be used as a reference guide for developing and discusses all the aspects related to the development and use of reference budgets. It gives an overview on the design, construction and application of reference budgets and shows case studies in nine European countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, United Kingdom).

Additionally, each participating country - Austria, Belgium (FR, NL), Bulgaria and Spain - published a booklet on reference budgets development as national lobbying tools. To get the pdf-Version, just klick on the country or in the case of Belgium on the French or Dutch issue.

Each project partner has also developed a tool (budget calculator) to facilitate the use of reference budgets in debt prevention or debt advice.

Conference: Lectures and presentations available

Most of the lectures and poster presentations from the final conference of the EU project on reference budgets are now available for download. The conference "Reference Budgets for Social Inclusion" (October 2009, Vienna/Austria) presented and discussed the findings and results of the transnational EU project "Standard Budgets".

Reference budgets and budget standards from ten different countries were presented and their use for money and debt advices, guaranteeing responsible credit and redefining social policy.

Conference programme (pdf) The conference was linked to the 3rd General Assembly of ecdn (European Consumer Debt Network). Read more...

Money Matters: issue on "Reference Budgets"

ecdn's publication "Money Matters" 6 (published in May 2009) deals with "Reference Budgets for Social Inclusion". Read more...