Study reveals its tougher for rural families

Higher living costs combined with low pay make country life tough, researchers from Loughborough University found.

The study was produced for the Commission for Rural Communities. Its executive director Nicola Lloyd said: "Although it is now widely recognised that one in five rural households experience poverty, this is the first time we've also had reliable data to show the minimum cost of living in the countryside is higher than in the city.

"The rural minimum income standard clearly shows that many ordinary families living in rural areas will struggle to afford the everyday essentials; for some this will make rural life unsustainable.

"The high cost of transport and household fuel are likely to be particular problems for rural families with low incomes.

"The CRC's recent work on fuel poverty and promoting greater energy efficiency offers ways for government and others to help to reduce these costs.

"We would also like to see developments which lessen the need for expensive travel to reach essential services, such as greater access to broadband and mobile technology, and creative solutions to providing employment and services closer to home."

Report author Dr Noel Smith said urban residents benefited from better public transport and often cheaper, more accessible utilities.