Authors: Jonathan Bradshaw, Elaine Kempson and Caroline Mullen
Funded by: European Social Policy Network
Published by: European Commission
Publication date: 2020

Principle 20 of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) states that ‘everyone has the right to access essential services of good quality, including water, sanitation, energy, transport, financial services and digital communications. Support for access to such services shall be available for those in need.’ Reaffirming the right to access essential services is a critical aspect of social inclusion and a vital component of social justice across the European Union (EU), especially for disadvantaged groups. This report focuses on the UK context.