FAMILIES LIVING IN POVERTY

Families Living In Poverty

Families Living In Poverty

Introduction

The original aim of the project was to increase understanding of the known association between poverty and some forms of child maltreatment, but it was subsequently widened to look more broadly at the experiences of families living on a low income. The term "poverty" was not used in any publicity for the project, as it was anticipated (rightly) that some families would perceive this as stigmatizing or not identify themselves as "poor". Nevertheless, by the definitions of poverty most commonly used in the UK - either being in receipt of means-tested benefits or with below 60% of median income before housing costs - almost all the households interviewed were poor.

The families participating in this study were not a random selection of those on low incomes. Other research, such as that by Deborah Ghate and Neal Hazel on "parenting in poor environments", which included a survey of over 1,750 parents from the 30% poorest areas in the UK (see links and resources), provides a more representative picture of the stresses and strains of parenting on a low income and how families cope. Ghate and Hazel found that nearly half of such families felt they were generally "coping well", despite the difficult circumstances under which most lived.

Discussion

The 70 families interviewed for the Living with Hardship study were chosen because they were experiencing difficulties. Most had previously been in contact with social services, and almost one in six had experience of children being placed on the child protection register. Nevertheless, there are features of this report which make it valuable reading. It aimed to cover families living in hardship in a range of circumstances (in affluent and deprived areas, and from different ethnic backgrounds). It included children's views, and explored parents' life histories and current situations.

Child poverty is high on the political agenda. Gordon Brown (who wrote the foreword to this study report) has pledged to end child poverty by 2020, and a new cross-departmental Child Poverty Unit has been announced in response to the slow progress made so far towards achieving this target. There is evidence that children who grow up in poverty are at risk of a wide range of adverse experiences, and that their disadvantage can persist into adult life.( Feinstein, 2007)

A recent analysis for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation of UK poverty and wealth found that over the past 15 years, more households have become poor, although fewer are very poor. Areas that are already wealthy have become disproportionably wealthier and there is evidence of more polarisation, whereby rich and poor now live further apart (JRF 2007). Understanding poverty's impact on families, and poverty in the context of affluence, is an important aim.

Findings And Analysis

The families interviewed had a wide range of experiences, strengths and difficulties. Each had an individual history and story to tell, and the study warns against viewing low income (or "high risk" or "problem") families as a homogenous group who can be identified and targeted for ...