Poverty and Social Exclusion in the UK : The Nature and Extent of the Problem

The largest UK research study on poverty and social exclusion ever conducted reveals startling levels of deprivation. 18m people are unable to afford adequate housing; 14m can’t afford essential household goods; and nearly half the population have some form of financial insecurity.

Defining poverty as those whose lack of resources forces them to live below a publicly agreed minimum standard, this text provides unique and detailed insights into the nature and extent of poverty and social exclusion in the UK today.

Written by a team of leading academics, the book reports on the extent and nature of poverty for different social groups: older and younger people; parents and children; ethnic groups; men and women; disabled people; and across regions through the recent period of austerity. It reflects on where government policies have made an impact and considers potential future developments.

A companion volume Poverty and Social Exclusion in the UK Volume 2 focuses on different aspects of poverty and social exclusion identified in the study.

Marco Pomati is Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences and Research Methods at Cardiff University.

Christina Pantazis is Head of the Centre for the Study of Poverty and Social Justice in the School for Policy Studies.

Esther Dermott is Professor in Sociology at the University of Bristol. A sociologist of family life, her research centres on developing a sociological account of 'good' parenting that is both conceptually robust and practically relevant. This has involved exploring the relationship between families, gender, and intra-household poverty as a member of the Poverty and Social Exclusion 2012 team. She is co-editor of The Sociology of Children and Families Policy Press book series; co-editor of Open Space in the journal Families, Relationships and Societies; and board member of the European Sociological Association Research Network on Families and Relationships (RN13).

Gill Main is a University Academic Fellow at the University of Leeds. Her research focuses on child and youth poverty and well-being, and especially on incorporating children’s accounts and perspectives into understandings and measures of child poverty. She was involved in exploring child poverty as a member of the Poverty and Social Exclusion 2012 team. She is co-editor of the Policy Press Journal of Poverty and Social Justice.