Reference budgets are model household budgets for different types of private households. They specifically take into account the expenditure structure of persons with low-income. With focus on possible social inclusion, they represent a reference framework for necessary household expenditure and a corresponding budget division.

Cross-country comparable reference budgets

This EU-wide pilot project deals with developing a common methodology for compiling reference budgets that are comparable across all EU member states. Reference budgets for three types of households (single, one adult and two children, two adults and two children) are established in the capital regions of the EU countries. A common methodology including both expert knowledge and the experience of people in focus groups is used. The Austrian experts in the consortium are Michaela Moser from the Ilse Arlt Institute for Social Inclusion Research and Christa Leitner from asb Schuldnerberatungen GmbH.

Within the framework of the project, a network is formed which offers theoretical and practical support for conceptionalising and developing complete reference budgets.

Core Team & EU Expert Team

* Johnathan Bradshaw, University of York

* Donald Hirsch, Center for Research in Social Policy

* Bernadette Mac Mahon, Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice

* Eric Marlier, CEPS/INSTEAD

Michaela Moser, St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences

* Ides Nicaise, HIVA, KULeuven

* Peter Saunders, Social Policy Research Centre, Australia

* Karel Van den Bosch, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy

* Anne Van Lancker, Independent consultant

* Cok Vrooman, Netherlands Institute for Social Research

* Terry Ward, Applica

National Lead Experts

* Austria – Christa Leitner and Michaela Moser

* Belgium – Bérénice Storms

* Bulgaria – Bistra Vassileva

* Cyprus – Panos Pashardes

* Czech Republic – Eva Pavlikova

* Germany – Heide Preusse and Birgit Bürkin

* Denmark – Finn Kenneth Hansen

* Estonia – Lauri Leppik

* Greece – Manos Matsaganis

* Spain – Jordi Riera Romaní & Elena Carillo Alvarez

* Finland – Lauri Mäkinen and Veli-Matti Ritakallio

* France – Myram Bobbio (tbc)

* Croatia – Paul Stubbs Nestic Danijel

* Hungary – Peter Szivos

* Ireland – Bernadette Mac Mahon

* Italy – Yuri Kazepov

* Lithuania – Romas Lazutka

* Luxembourg – Paul Zahlen and Anne Franziskus

* Latvia – Alf Vanags

* Malta – Suzanne Piscopo

* Netherlands – Cok Vrooman

* Poland – Jolanta Perek-Bialas

* Portugal – José Antonio Correia Pereirinha

* Romania – Cristina Raţ

* Sweden – Kenneth Nelson

* Slovenia – Nada Stropnik

* Slovakia – Daniel Gerbery

* UK – Donald Hirsch and Laura Valadez