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Hard Times in the Hard Times in the UKUK

Elaine Chase and Robert Elaine Chase and Robert Walker Walker

Oslo, August 2011 Oslo, August 2011

MethodMethod Two sites – areas of high deprivation Two sites – areas of high deprivation Semi-structured interviews with 35 Semi-structured interviews with 35

adultadult With dependant children With dependant children Recipients of benefits Recipients of benefits

Semi-structured interviews with *14 Semi-structured interviews with *14 children and young peoplechildren and young people Children of intervieweesChildren of interviewees Or via youth services Or via youth services

* (further interviews planned)* (further interviews planned)

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Circumstances of Circumstances of participants participants

Majority single parents and womenMajority single parents and women Number of children from 1-7; Number of children from 1-7;

average 2.4average 2.4 Majority on Income Support or Job Majority on Income Support or Job

Seekers Allowance Seekers Allowance All eligible for tax credits All eligible for tax credits Children/young people living in low Children/young people living in low

income householdsincome households

Types of hardship Types of hardship

Lack of basic necessities: food, Lack of basic necessities: food, clothes, electricity/gasclothes, electricity/gas

Widespread debt/arrears with Widespread debt/arrears with paymentspayments

Constant dilemma of paying Constant dilemma of paying bills/providingbills/providing

Poor or inadequate housingPoor or inadequate housing Overcrowding Overcrowding Sense of survival rather than livingSense of survival rather than living

Its extremely cold and the house (flat) Its extremely cold and the house (flat) extremely mouldy but I have to keep extremely mouldy but I have to keep on going. My children are suffering on going. My children are suffering from the mould, they are coughing.from the mould, they are coughing.

(Rosemary, two children aged 6 and 4 years)(Rosemary, two children aged 6 and 4 years)

You can’t tidy the flat properly ‘cos you can’t afford the polish to polish it properly to make it look nice. You have to look at your electric meter before you even Hoover up to make sure you’ve got enough electric. I have to put gas on.. I have to find that money to put £6.00 on so I can use the gas. It’s not nice, not the situation I want to be in .

(Geoff, one son age 16 years)

Sometimes I look in the cupboard and think, ‘there’s not a lot in there really... I wonder what the kids think’. ‘ Cos I can’t say to them ‘oh look the cupboards are almost empty’, but I do explain to them and say, ‘look, things are getting harder’ .

(Helen, two children ages 10 and 9 years)

My son (age 4) was given a Nintendo DS for his birthday and I was talking about selling things on the phone to my sister . And he brought his DS to me and he said, ‘sell this mummy and you can pay this (bill)’ .And we did, we sold his DS to pay bills and I think that is how aware he is of our situation. It is a guilty feeling, but I think he saw me selling all of my things, my jewellery that sort of thing and he is doing the same.(Tina, two children ages 2 and 4 years)

Consequences Consequences Physiological Physiological

Poor health (damp, poor diet etc)Poor health (damp, poor diet etc) Feeling ‘physically sick’ with worryFeeling ‘physically sick’ with worry

PsychologicalPsychological Anxiety Anxiety Lack of sleep Lack of sleep Depression Depression Sense of disintegration of self.. (wanting to ‘end it Sense of disintegration of self.. (wanting to ‘end it

all’)all’) Social Social

WithdrawingWithdrawing Getting stuck Getting stuck

Sometimes there ain’t no point in Sometimes there ain’t no point in socialising, ‘ cos what are you going socialising, ‘ cos what are you going to talk about? Your bills? Your debt?.. to talk about? Your bills? Your debt?.. So, yes, that does make you withdraw So, yes, that does make you withdraw I suppose... there’s nothing to talk I suppose... there’s nothing to talk about except that you feel a bit about except that you feel a bit depressed, you haven’t got enough depressed, you haven’t got enough money to pay that bill or eat that day.money to pay that bill or eat that day.

(Helen) (Helen)

Being shamed/ feeling Being shamed/ feeling shameshame Multiplicity of shame ...Multiplicity of shame ...

For where you live For where you live For not working For not working For being a young mother/single parentFor being a young mother/single parent Not being able to give children what they Not being able to give children what they

needneed By the system and those administering it By the system and those administering it By society By society By the media By the media By those with power (e.g loan companies) By those with power (e.g loan companies) By government – ‘they’ By government – ‘they’

Descriptions of being Descriptions of being shamedshamed

‘ ‘look down on’; ‘turn their look down on’; ‘turn their nose up’, ‘judge’, ‘think we’re nose up’, ‘judge’, ‘think we’re all the same’, ‘don’t get to all the same’, ‘don’t get to know you’, ‘treat you like know you’, ‘treat you like shit’, ‘‘look at you like crap’, shit’, ‘‘look at you like crap’, ‘prey on people like us’, ‘prey on people like us’, ‘exploit people like us’‘exploit people like us’

The headmistress, she’s got a little tick box The headmistress, she’s got a little tick box and she’s like, “well, she lives on A (name) and she’s like, “well, she lives on A (name) Road, that ticks her off as one bad parent; Road, that ticks her off as one bad parent; she’s a single mother; she doesn’t have a job. she’s a single mother; she doesn’t have a job. Well we can clearly see that she’s got Well we can clearly see that she’s got emotional problems and she’s struggling. emotional problems and she’s struggling. Son’s got behavioural problems”... so when I Son’s got behavioural problems”... so when I go to that meeting, she’s there thinking, “oh go to that meeting, she’s there thinking, “oh my God, it’s just another one of those my God, it’s just another one of those mothers”, and she couldn’t give two monkeys mothers”, and she couldn’t give two monkeys about what I’m sayingabout what I’m saying

( Jenny, two children ages 10 and 5 years)( Jenny, two children ages 10 and 5 years)

‘‘feeling guilty’feeling guilty’ , ‘ , ‘feeling rotten’feeling rotten’, , ‘‘awkwardawkward’, ‘’, ‘useless’, ‘letting myself useless’, ‘letting myself down’ down’ or ‘or ‘ashamedashamed’ were common ’ were common in relation to how people viewed in relation to how people viewed their ability to provide for children. their ability to provide for children.

‘‘feeling horrible’, ‘embarrassed’ or feeling horrible’, ‘embarrassed’ or ‘dreadful’ ‘dreadful’ about having to accept about having to accept help from others.... help from others....

I don’t like being on benefits because I feel I don’t like being on benefits because I feel like I am sponging. I don’t like it because it’s like I am sponging. I don’t like it because it’s not my money...not my money...

(Trevor, three children ages 11, 9 and 2 years)(Trevor, three children ages 11, 9 and 2 years)

It’s like the ice cream van comes and J It’s like the ice cream van comes and J wants an ice cream and I’m like, ‘I’ve got no wants an ice cream and I’m like, ‘I’ve got no money’, or he’ll say, ‘Mummy, when you’ve money’, or he’ll say, ‘Mummy, when you’ve got some money can we do such and such got some money can we do such and such againagain

(Hilda, one child, age 3)(Hilda, one child, age 3)

Responses to shame /being Responses to shame /being shamedshamed

Feelings of inadequacy/ withdrawalFeelings of inadequacy/ withdrawal Anger and frustration Anger and frustration Pretence /maintaining illusion (e.g family Pretence /maintaining illusion (e.g family

overseas)overseas) Keeping up appearances/a brave faceKeeping up appearances/a brave face Pride/ resilience / sense of community Pride/ resilience / sense of community

(empathy, ‘only the poor people look after the (empathy, ‘only the poor people look after the poor’)poor’)

Avoiding situations which expose sense of Avoiding situations which expose sense of inadequacy inadequacy

Projecting shame? Projecting shame? Rejection of notion of poverty or related Rejection of notion of poverty or related

shameshame

Projecting of shame ? Projecting of shame ?

Those able to work and not working Those able to work and not working Those who have never workedThose who have never worked Those who don’t try/ look for work Those who don’t try/ look for work Young mothers having ‘another!’ Young mothers having ‘another!’

child child People scamming the system People scamming the system Immigrants/ asylum seekers Immigrants/ asylum seekers

Well actually I don’t even believe in the word Well actually I don’t even believe in the word poor. Because at the end of the day people say poor. Because at the end of the day people say they’re poor, but they ain’t, it’s just that they’ve they’re poor, but they ain’t, it’s just that they’ve got no money........... got no money...........

.....People think “I can’t get that money, I’m .....People think “I can’t get that money, I’m poor... I’m poor...”, but seriously if they lived poor... I’m poor...”, but seriously if they lived their everyday life, no one in the world has their everyday life, no one in the world has money every day. But if you think about it... if money every day. But if you think about it... if you want stuff you’ve got to save up.... you can you want stuff you’ve got to save up.... you can always sort yourself out, you’ve just got to always sort yourself out, you’ve just got to believe in it and don’t give up first time. believe in it and don’t give up first time. (If) (If) you you get kicked back, yeah, you get straight back on get kicked back, yeah, you get straight back on your feet and try it again. I’ve had three your feet and try it again. I’ve had three rejections from three jobs, you don’t see me sit rejections from three jobs, you don’t see me sit back thinking, “yeah sod that, I’m 16, I can be at back thinking, “yeah sod that, I’m 16, I can be at home, I can be a young mum’home, I can be a young mum’

(Ella, age 16)(Ella, age 16)