We use UK transaction-level data during the Covid-19 pandemic to study whether mortgage payment holidays (PH) can act as a mechanism for smoothing household consumption following negative aggregate shocks. Our results suggest that mortgage PH were accessed by both households with pre-existing...

Besides other things, the effect of COVID-19 pandemic is evident in income and consumption pattern of the households. Income loss, fear of infection and movement restrictions has not only altered the amount and pattern of spending but has also changed the shopping behaviour of the consumers. In...

This paper builds a government policy choice model in a general equilibrium setting in which households' health status responds to a stricter policy on the pandemic. By assuming an exogenous policy decision date, the model implies the government should maintain the current policy until the...

As households reduce discretionary spending in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns are high that a resulting fall in aggregate demand can lead to a lasting recession post-COVID-19. Consequently, policies aimed at stimulating consumer spending are of key interest to governments working to...