| Poverty in Scotland 2011 Editors: John McKendrick, Gerry Mooney, John Dickie and Peter Kelly
Poverty in Scotland 2011 provides a comprehensive yet accessible account of the state of poverty in Scotland, highlighting the main trends and the impact poverty has on people and places. It examines how successful the combined efforts of the UK and Scottish Governments have been in tackling poverty in Scotland, and includes:
The authors explore:
The essays highlight the distinctive features of Scotland’s experience of poverty and the extent to which reserved and devolved policies have contributed to progress in tackling it. With Scottish Parliamentary elections looming and a new Coalition in power at Westminster the book concludes with a discussion on how policy needs to develop if poverty in Scotland is finally to become a thing of the past. Poverty in Scotland 2011 is an essential guide for voluntary groups and community activists, teachers, policy makers, students and academics working in the anti-poverty field. Published by CPAG in association with Glasgow Caledonian University, the Open University in Scotland and the Poverty Alliance. Paperback,
200 pages Download the introduction from Poverty in Scotland 2011 PDF file (85 KB) Coping with Complexity: child and adult poverty Mark Tomlinson and Robert Walker
Despite having been on the political agenda for a decade, child and adult poverty is rising. But what is poverty? Do current definitions and measurements capture its impact onchildren and the adults who care for them? This radical new analysis considers the impact poverty has on children’s lives. It shows that, while lack of income is an important aspect of poverty, it is about much more. Poverty is about stress, poor housing, lack of facilities, inadequate infrastructure, fear of crime and problems associated with living in a deprived area. Poverty not only prevents people from buying the things they need, it also them fulfilling personal ambitions and exploiting opportunities. It generates poor physical and mental health, and absorbs the time and resources required for social and political engagement. Coping with Complexity argues that current definitions, models and measurements do not reflect the dynamic, multi-dimensional nature of poverty. Nor do they capture the impact of adult poverty on children’s wellbeing in the here and now. The measurements often conflict, with a person measured as poor on one index and not on another. Coping with Complexity addresses these limitations, presenting an exciting new model to help us understand poverty’s various dimensions, and calls for the same techniques to be used to improve policies. Coping with Complexity identifies fundamental problems with a government strategy that has failed to confront the various interlinked causes and consequences of poverty. A tendency to tackle single causes and specific outcomes has generated poorly targeted and ineffectual policies, which over-emphasise employment as the principal antidote to poverty. Coping with Complexity is essential reading for researchers and policymakers – and for the Government. It calls for a much more holistic approach that addresses the different aspects of poverty and their impact on the lives of children. It provides a radical and re-energised approach, which, if implemented, would have an immediate impact on the 3.9 million children currently living in poverty in Britain. A5 paperback,
99 pages Download Coping with Complexity: child and adult poverty as a PDF file (302 KB) Out
of Reach
Current statistics indicate that over a million children living in poverty are affected by disability. Significant additional costs, low levels of employment and inaccessible benefits contribute to shocking levels of poverty among families with disabled children. Although disability living allowance lifts many families out of poverty, and facilitates access to preventative and support services, too many disabled children still do not get the disability benefits to which they are entitled. Drawing on interviews with families and a survey undertaken by Contact a Family, Out of Reach argues that better administrative processes and increased take up of disability living allowance would improve the lives of disabled children, enhance their life chances and reduce child poverty. It contains a number of detailed recommendations about how national and local government can improve access to financial support for disabled children. The report concludes that ensuring disabled children receive the benefits to which they are entitled is essential if the Government is to reach its 2010 target of halving child poverty. A5 paperback,
112 pages A Route out of Poverty? Disabled people, work and welfare reform Edited by Gabrielle Preston
Disability is both a cause and a consequence of poverty. Disabled people are more likely to be poor because they experience barriers to employment, high living costs, low wages, and inadequate benefits and tax credits. People living on a low income are also more likely to become disabled because of the close association between poverty and ill health. A
Route out of Poverty? explores the evidence linking
poverty and disability. Drawing on interviews conducted by CPAG,
it also examines the experiences and attitudes of disabled parents
to paid employment; whether disability benefits and support services
are accessible, adequate and appropriate; and the impact government
policy has had on their own and their children’s lives. A5 paperback, 142 pages June 2006 £11.00 ISBN10: 1 901698
93 9 Contents and authors – A Route out of Poverty? Foreword –
Bert Massie Introduction
– Gabrielle Preston 1. Disabled
people, poverty and the labour market – Guy Palmer 2. Children
with disabled parents – Hugh Stickland and Richard Olsen 3. Changing
weights and measures: disability and child poverty – Tania
Burchardt 4. Living with disability: a message from disabled parents – Gabrielle Preston 5. Incapacity benefit and welfare reform – Gabrielle Preston Conclusion – Gabrielle Preston At Greatest Risk: the children most likely to be poor Edited by Gabrielle Preston
How great is the risk of a child being poor in the UK? According to one calculation a child has a 3% risk of poverty if living in a two parent family where both parents work, rising sharply to 74% where no parent is in work. Yet the reported numbers don’t show the true extent of the problem. Certain ‘at risk’ groups are hidden in the statistics and some are disproportionately at risk or experience multiple disadvantages: such as lone parent families, children or parents with disabilities, larger families, Traveller families and asylum seekers. At Greatest Risk identifies these various groups and looks at how to tackle the particular issues most affecting them. Benefit adequacy, work and worklessness, and housing are major issues. There must be a shift in government policy to address the needs of the most vulnerable children. Throughout this book, key questions are posed for a Government that is intent on making its third term truly historic, progressing towards the eradication of child poverty in 2020. At Greatest Risk is essential reading for anyone concerned with child poverty, including politicians, policy makers, academics and social activists. A5 paperback,
208 pages Contents and authors: At Greatest Risk Foreword
– Ruth Lister Introduction
- Gabrielle Preston Part one: Poverty trends – causes and consequences
Part two: Groups at particular risk of poverty
Conclusion – Gabrielle Preston Recipe for Change: A good practice guide to school meals Edited by Carrieanne Hurley and Ashley Riley
School meals play an important role in the fight against child poverty. Yet school meal provision has seriously declined over recent decades. There is no longer a universal service, the nutritional quality of the food served is often poor, and over 350,000 children a day fail to claim their free school meal. There is a wealth of evidence illustrating bad practice in school meal provision. Even where good practice exists, there are few opportunities to share experience with other schools and local authorities. Recipe for Change: a good practice guide to school meals is the first book to bring together examples of individual initiatives from around the UK that have significantly improved the quality and take-up of school meals. The book also includes an overview of the link between nutrition and child poverty, and developments in school meals policy and practice over the last 50 years. It makes key policy recommendations and includes many practical ideas that school meals providers can adapt for use in their own community. Foreword by Stephen Twigg MP. Contributions from: NCH, the children’s charity; CPAG; the London Borough of Newham; South Gloucestershire Council; Kingston upon Hull City Council; Glasgow City Council; the Venerable Bede C of E Secondary School, Sunderland; CPAG in Scotland; Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming. Published in association with the New Deal for Communities, Recipe for Change is a vital new resource for schools, colleges, local authorities, health workers, parents and anyone concerned with child poverty and the quality of our school meals service. A5 paperback,
96 pages Also see:
Marilyn Howard
Introduced in April 2003, the new tax credits – child tax credit and working tax credit – represent a major change in government policy on making work pay for low-income families and are critical to the success of the Government’s pledge to end child poverty by 2020. Tax Credits: one year on reviews the first year of the new system and makes policy recommendations for the future. Drawing on case studies provided to CPAG by welfare rights advisers across the UK, the book looks beyond the well-documented implementation problems and examines broader issues of concern, including childcare, income assessments, overpayments and the relationship with other benefits. The problems experienced by some families in the scheme’s initial 12 months highlight the need for further reform if tax credits are to be truly successful in eradicating child poverty. 1 901698 73 4 June 2004 £9.00 Also see: Ending Child Poverty by 2020: the first five years Editor: Paul Dornan
Five years on from the Government’s historic pledge to abolish child poverty within twenty years, CPAG has brought together leading academics and campaigners to reflect on the progress that the Government is making towards this goal. Ending Child Poverty by 2020 examines the impact of child poverty, including from children’s own perspectives, and considers what further steps the Government needs to take to realise its ambition. Employment as a route out of poverty, childcare policy and area-based initiatives are all considered. Ending Child Poverty by 2020 shows that much progress has been made, but there is more to do. Eradication of child poverty is within our grasp, but unless the Government takes more radical measures in future, the goal may not be achieved. 1 901698 72 6 February 2004 £9.00 5th edition
Poverty: the facts (5th edition) is published by leading national charity the Child Poverty Action Group. It is the most authoritative and up to date analysis of poverty in Britain. It claims that although some regions and countries in the UK are poorer than others, each contains diverse areas and cities with different poverty levels. It also considers recent government initiatives and reports on their ‘limited’ success. Poverty: the facts now includes an index for easy reference. It is an essential resource for campaigners, policymakers, journalists, students and academics. ‘Presents a clear picture of the growth of poverty in Britain and the divide between rich and poor’ - Community Care ‘CPAG is one of the most respected and statistically careful of the poverty lobbies’ - Financial Times 1 901698 62 9 March 2004 £10.95 Download a 4-page update of Poverty: the facts (47KB pdf file) Updated 2007 The Costs of Education: a local study Emily Tanner, Fran Bennett, Harriet Churchill, Geoffrey Ferres, Sue Tanner and Sharon Wright
School uniforms and trips, after school clubs, sport and music lessons… Despite having a 'free' education system, the additional costs associated with a child's schooling are growing every year. These costs impose a significant burden on parents trying to make ends meet on a low income. As a result many children are excluded from participating fully in school activities. Financial assistance is sometimes available, but not all parents are aware it exists, or else they may be reluctant to ask. The Costs of Education presents – often in their own words – the concerns of a group of parents in the Oxford area about the extra costs associated with their children's education. The authors go on to make practical recommendations to schools, local education authorities and national government. A topical subject tackled in a readable style, this new study – carried out by CPAG Oxford and District Branch – is essential reading for anyone who cares about children and their education. 1 901698 57 2 August 2003 £6.95 Parallel Lives? Poverty among ethnic minority groups in Britain Lucinda Platt
In Britain today the chances of being poor vary enormously according to your ethnic group. Parallel Lives? poverty among ethnic minority groups in Britain explores the extent to which particular minority groups lead a parallel existence to that of the population as a whole, through greater rates of poverty and deprivation. It identifies the ways in which past discrimination and disadvantage has affected the current welfare of minority groups. It evaluates the extent to which current structures and policies perpetuate or mitigate deprivation. And it reflects on the prospects for the future: for today’s children and for future generations. It also considers the attempts that have been made to tackle ethnic minority disadvantage and the proposals that have been put forward. A decade after CPAG first published Poverty in Black and White, Parallel Lives? draws on the increased wealth of data and research now available to provide an essential resource on the facts and figures on ethnic minority poverty. It makes comparisons both with the majority, ‘white’ population and within the ethnic minority population as a whole. Parallel Lives? is essential reading for academics, researchers, students, policymakers, campaign groups and anyone interested in ethnic minority issues.
1 901698 49 1 December 2002 £10.95 Poverty
in Scotland 2002 4th edition
The re-established Scottish Parliament promised to promote distinctly Scottish ways of addressing poverty and social exclusion in Scotland. Three years later, with around a third of Scottish children still living in poverty, this latest edition of Poverty in Scotland examines how successful it has been. Drawing, for the first time, on new Scottish sources of data and poverty measures, Poverty in Scotland 2002 provides up-to-date facts and figures on poverty in Scotland. It expands the information provided in the previous three editions and includes:
Comparative data is included throughout to enable comparisons with the rest of the UK. This edition also includes, for the first time, a selection of essays from leading figures in the political, academic and voluntary sectors in Scotland. These highlight the distinctive features of Scotland’s experience of poverty, as well as its similarities to the rest of the UK. They also examine the national and regional economic factors affecting policy responses to poverty. Poverty in Scotland 2002 is an essential guide for voluntary groups and community activists, teachers, policy makers, students and academics working in the anti-poverty field. Published by CPAG in association with Scottish Poverty Information Unit 1 901698 50 5 November 2002 £10.95 Also see:
Poverty Bites: food, health and poor families Elizabeth Dowler,
Sheila Turner and Barbara Dobson
There is increasing evidence that people who live for long periods on low incomes cannot afford sufficient food to maintain good health. This book explores why this happens and considers the consequences for families and children in terms of their nutritional, health and social wellbeing. The authors challenge common myths around food poverty, and focus on four main policy areas:
‘Poverty
Bites, in my view, is the best summary of current understanding
and data about food poverty’ 1 901698 45 9 December 2001 £9.95 Paying
the Price: carers, poverty and social exclusion
There are almost two million people in the UK providing are and support to someone, often a relative, who cannot manage alone because of their age, health or disability. The unpaid work of these carers saves the taxpayer an estimated £34 billion a year in health and social services. Yet the price is paid by the many carers who live in poverty, excluded from social activities and paid employment, and who often feel isolated and unrecognised in their role. Paying the Price draws on new research to examine the impact of caring on different types of carer, including young carers, parents, working-age carers and carers over pension age. Case studies illustrate the problems faced by different groups. While there have been a number of positive government initiatives, the depth and extent of poverty and social exclusion among carers mean that more is needed to ensure that those who care for others continue to do so. In particular, Paying the Price examines the support available to carers and recommends urgently needed improvements to welfare benefits, services and other support. Download the
final chapter of the book, including summary
and conclusions and recommendations (26KB pdf) 1 901698 39 4 October 2001 £9.95 An
End in Sight? Tackling child poverty in the UK Geoff Fimister (ed)
An authoritative analysis of the Blair government’s record in tackling child and family poverty from 1997-2001. New Labour got off to a bad start by carrying out the previous government’s plans to cut lone parents’ benefits. Yet within two years Tony Blair had pledged to abolish child poverty within 20 years, and measures were being taken to increase the incomes of poor families. In this book, distinguished contributors from various fields assess Labour’s policy measures. They look beyond the headlines to determine what real progress was made in this period towards abolition of child poverty. The authors examine the Government’s performance in a number of policy areas relating to different aspects of poverty: employment; education; health; housing; neighbourhood renewal; the racial dimension. The book also looks at the future of children’s benefits, and sets out what further anti-poverty measures need to be implemented by future governments. 'A comprehensive audit of deprivation' The Guardian 119 pages 1 901698 34 3 February 2001 £9.95 Further information on this website:
When
Children Pay: US welfare reform and its implications for UK policy Rosemary J. Link and Anthony A. Bibus, with Karen Lyons Foreword by David Bull
The concepts behind 'Welfare to Work' – the 'New Deal' – are imported from the United States. But how relevant is the American experience of welfare reform to the UK, and what lessons are there for a British Government aiming to abolish child poverty within twenty years? When Children Pay aims to reach a critical understanding of both US and UK approaches to poverty and income maintenance, highlighting what may work and what is unlikely to work when transplanted from the US to the UK. As well as analysing the US approach, it presents evidence of its success or otherwise in alleviating child poverty. The authors conclude with recommendations for British policy makers to take on board when planning to abolish child poverty. There is an urgent need for this study given a continuing UK interest in welfare reform policies implemented in Wisconsin and other American states. Rosemary Link is Professor of Social Work and Chair of the Professional Studies Division, Augsburg College, Minnesota. Anthony Bibus is the BSW Programme Director and teaches social work at Augsburg College. Karen Lyons is Reader in Social Work at the University of East London. David Bull is Associate Senior Lecturer in International Social Welfare and Public Policy at the University of Bristol, and a former Chair of CPAG's Executive Committee. Read David Bull's foreword. 192 pages 1
901698 15 7 September 2000 £9.95 Poverty
First Hand: poor people speak for themselves
Poverty First Hand offers a forceful first hand analysis of poverty in the UK which has profound implications both for poverty debates and the future of anti-poverty policy. 'The politicians and social policy gurus, who shape anti-poverty measures, are often economically and geographically distant from poor people. Poverty First Hand demonstrates that low-income citizens can collectively form and express their solutions. Not only should they be listened to, they should also be incorporated into government policy-making bodies.' Bob Holman, Neighbourhood Worker, Easterhouse Estate, Glasgow 232 pages 0 946744 89 0 July 1999 £9.95 Filling the Gap: free school meals, nutrition and poverty Will McMahon and Tim Marsh
Over a million
children living in poverty in the UK are currently missing out on
free school meals –
either because they are not entitled or because they do not take
up their right. Bridget Pettitt (ed)
Children and Work in the UK is the first comprehensive review of the role and extent of children's work in this country today. It traces the historical roots of child labour from the industrial revolution through to today's part-time jobs, and examines how these fit alongside compulsory education. Issues covered include: which children work and why; whether such work is healthy or harmful; what can be learned from the experiences of children working in developing countries; why attitudes towards part-time paid work and school-based work experience schemes are so different. In addition, this book makes a number of important policy recommendations which should inform any future debate on the issue. Contributors: Norman Barton, Nicola Croden, Ellen Heptinstall, Sandy Hobbs, Shirley Horton, Michael Lavalette, Madeleine Leonard, Jim McKechnie, Rachel Marcus, Sue Middleton, Jules Shropshire, Ben Whitney. 'Reveals that more than a million children are forced to work in their spare time to boost household incomes...alarmingly, the evidence suggests that poorer children work the longest hours and so suffer educationally' The Guardian Published by CPAG in association with Save the Children. 200 pages 1 901698 13 0 July 1998 £9.95 Dee Cook
The view that poverty causes crime is often simply taken for granted. This book critically examines how we think about the links between poverty, crime and punishment. It shows that crime is committed for a variety of reasons by the rich as well as the poor, but that, in an increasingly unequal society, the poor are penalised more. Poverty, Crime and Punishment is the first book to signal to the Labour Government the task it faces in genuinely being 'tough on the causes of crime', and in reconciling its commitment to social justice with the pressing need to restore faith in the criminal justice system. 'It courageously confronts the assumptions and moral hazards which have predicated social policy for so long - the nuclear family, the 'underclass', the permissive society' Michael Mansfield QC 176 pages 0 946744 97 1 1997 £8.95 Britain Divided: the growth of social exclusion in the 1990s Alan Walker and Carol Walker (eds)
Produced in the run-up to the last General Election, Britain Divided chronicles the processes of social exclusion, looking at tax and social security changes and the growth of poverty and inequality. Different dimensions of exclusion are examined, including how it is compounded by gender and race, and how poor people have fared worst in education, housing, health and unemployment. Regional inequalities, privatisation, food policy and other issues are assessed. A bleak picture is presented, but Britain Divided also offers a way forward for improving social securit, arguing that we can afford a decent welfare state. Contributors include John Hills, Tim Lang, Ruth Lister, Carey Oppenheim, David Piachaud, Jane Millar, Elaine Kempson and Peter Townsend. 'The first study of poverty in all its forms during 18 years of Conservative rule...one of the most comprehensive examinations of the growth of poverty and social inequality since 1979' The Guardian 'The study charts how economic inequality has grown across a wide range of of fields ranging from access to quality education and healthcare to the provision of adequate housing' Financial Times 320 pages 0 946744 91 2 1997 £8.95 Not To Be Ignored: young people, poverty and health A Dennehy, P Harker and L Smith
This is the first study of the connection between poverty and the health of young people. The authors, from Bristol University's Department of Social Medicine, explore: the causes of ill health; education, social security and housing issues; health intervention and promotion strategies for young people; and, the effectiveness of existing resources. There are also positive proposals for improving health care for the young. Interviews with young people help to illuminate attitudes towards health issues, and convey the reality of being young and poor in Britain today. 'Children and young people have now overtaken pensioners as the largest age group in poverty and their health is suffering as a result..(Not To Be Ignored) shows that the main poverty-related health problems are accidents, respiratory problems, depression, schizophrenia, dietary deficiencies, substance abuse and sexually transmitted diseases. Suicide rates for young men have doubled since 1975 and are almost three times higher for young poor people than for those from better-off backgrounds' The Independent 'Surprisingly little seems to have changed since the first UK epidemiological study of child health in 1947...The CPAG report also shows a clear connection between respiratory diseases and poverty, as did the first UK study on the effects of poverty and poor housing conditions on children's health' The Lancet Published by CPAG in association with The King's Fund. 192 pages 0 946744 90 4 1997 £8.95 Child Support: issues for the future Fran Bennett
The latest research findings show the impact of the child support scheme on children, lone parents, fathers and second families, and the wider effect on attitudes to family responsibilities and obligations. Child Support: Issues for the future highlights the main issues for drawing up realistic policy proposals for the future of child support. 'The Child Support Agency is hurting the very people it should be helping – the country's poorest children...The study, by the Child Poverty Action Group, says it has made children more deprived...only a minority of single parents receive maintenance, through the CSA or otherwise' Observer 48 pages 0 946744
96 3 1997 £5.95 This
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