UK regions now poorer than Slovenia, report finds

A new study by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research reveals that inequality in Britain has worsened since the 2008 financial crisis. Some of the poorest households in the UK are now worse off than those in Slovenia and Malta. The report highlights stagnating real incomes and weak wage growth as key factors. It states that the UK ranks low in welfare value compared to other OECD countries, with welfare payments often failing to cover essential costs. Living standards in parts of the UK, such as Birmingham and the northeast, are now lower than in the poorest areas of Slovenia and Lithuania. The study indicates that economic stagnation is threatening the UK's standard of living.