The first case study focuses on the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) use of Understanding Society to monitor and understand income movements over time and the persistence of low income for various population groups. In their report the DWP found that 9 percent (before housing costs) and 11 percent (after housing costs) of individuals were in persistent low income in the years 2011-15.
There were significant differences between population groups; both families with children and pensioners were more likely to experience persistent low income. Eleven percent of families with children (before housing costs) and 16 percent (after housing costs) had persistent low incomes – though there were no changes in their rates between the two analysis periods.
Download the case study: Who is experiencing persistent low income in the UK?
The second case study featuring research from the DWP looks at how they have used Understanding Society to investigate the consequences of disadvantage for families, analysing parents’ work situations and its impact on children – particularly in terms of their educational outcomes.
The research cuts across employment, health and education, uncovers some of the complex problems faced by workless parents, including relationship stress.
Key findings
- The analysis found that there were important differences between workless families and lower-income working families on children’s outcomes; for example, children who grew up in workless families were almost twice as likely to fail at all stages of their education. This trend was mirrored at older ages; three quarters of children in workless families failed to achieve the expected level at GCSE, compared to just over half of all children from lower-income working families.
- The second part of the research focused on parental worklessness and its overlap with other disadvantages. The analysis found that half of children in workless families were living with parents with multiple characteristics associated with worklessness, such as ill health and low qualifications.
Download the case study: Tackling worklessness and its consequences for children
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