Did you know that the current London weighting of PGR stipends is 10% behind inflation levels? Hassam (VP LIP) and Diya (President) worked together with other Students’ Unions to develop a proposal for additional London weighting to be added to UKRI stipends.
We know how much the cost of living affects students, especially those in London. It’s a great city to study or conduct research in, but it’s also incredibly expensive! Between rent and groceries to transport and events, it’s surprising how much your stipend as a PGR can quickly disappear before your next payment.
Did you know that the current London weighting of PGR stipends is 10% behind inflation levels? Hassam (Vice President Liberation, International and Postgraduates) and Diya (President) worked together with Students’ Unions from Imperial College London, King’s College London, London School of Economics and University College London to develop a proposal for additional London weighting to be added to UKRI stipends. The goal was to highlight the cost-of-living challenges faced by PGRs and the urgent need for greater financial support.
During his first year as VP LIP last year, Hassam heard concerns from multiple PGRs about stipend rates and the ways this affected both their ability to conduct research but also their quality of life in London. As a result, QMSU collaborated with QMUCU and ran a PGR survey to gather more evidence on this. Working on this project has been one of the main priorities for Hassam’s second term to continue advocating for fair financial support for PGRs.
Once getting this data, Hassam and Diya worked with other London Russell Group Students’ Unions to prepare a policy proposal for UKRI. This proposal recommended UKRI to fund an increase to the London weighting and establish a mechanism for the weighting to increase in line with inflation. The London weighting of UKRI stipends has remained unchanged for over 20 years, which means it’s no longer reflective of the high cost of living in London.
The policy proposal has been sent to UKRI, and we await a response from them shortly. We remain hopeful of change, improving the experience of our PGRs. We look forward to sharing positive updates with you in the future!
Winter can be especially difficult if you are struggling with the cost of living. For tips, resources and support, please visit our Cost of Living webpage here. The University’s Advice and Counselling Service can also provide confidential and professional money advice, please visit their website here.