1. 1 Hard Times in the UK Elaine Chase and Robert Walker Oslo, August 2011

2. Method Two sites – areas of high deprivation Two sites – areas of high deprivation Semi-structured interviews with 35 adult Semi-structured interviews with 35 adult With dependant children With dependant children Recipients of benefits Recipients of benefits Semi-structured interviews with *14 children and young people Semi-structured interviews with *14 children and young people Children of interviewees Children of interviewees Or via youth services Or via youth services * (further interviews planned) 2

3. Circumstances of participants Majority single parents and women Majority single parents and women Number of children from 1-7; average 2.4 Number of children from 1-7; average 2.4 Majority on Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance Majority on Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance All eligible for tax credits All eligible for tax credits Children/young people living in low income households Children/young people living in low income households

4. Types of hardship Lack of basic necessities: food, clothes, electricity/gas Lack of basic necessities: food, clothes, electricity/gas Widespread debt/arrears with payments Widespread debt/arrears with payments Constant dilemma of paying bills/providing Constant dilemma of paying bills/providing Poor or inadequate housing Poor or inadequate housing Overcrowding Overcrowding Sense of survival rather than living Sense of survival rather than living

5. Its extremely cold and the house (flat) extremely mouldy but I have to keep on going. My children are suffering from the mould, they are coughing. Its extremely cold and the house (flat) extremely mouldy but I have to keep on going. My children are suffering from the mould, they are coughing. (Rosemary, two children aged 6 and 4 years)

9. 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)

11. 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)

13. 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)

14. Consequences Physiological Physiological Poor health (damp, poor diet etc) Poor health (damp, poor diet etc) Feeling ‘physically sick’ with worry Feeling ‘physically sick’ with worry Psychological Psychological Anxiety Anxiety Lack of sleep Lack of sleep Depression Depression Sense of disintegration of self.. (wanting to ‘end it all’) Sense of disintegration of self.. (wanting to ‘end it all’) Social Social Withdrawing Withdrawing Getting stuck Getting stuck

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

16. Being shamed/ feeling shame 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 parent For being a young mother/single parent Not being able to give children what they need Not being able to give children what they need 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’

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

18. The headmistress, she’s got a little tick box and she’s like, “well, she lives on A (name) Road, that ticks her off as one bad parent; she’s a single mother; she doesn’t have a job. Well we can clearly see that she’s got emotional problems and she’s struggling. Son’s got behavioural problems”... so when I go to that meeting, she’s there thinking, “oh my God, it’s just another one of those mothers”, and she couldn’t give two monkeys about what I’m saying ( Jenny, two children ages 10 and 5 years)

19. ‘feeling guilty’, ‘feeling rotten’, ‘awkward’, ‘useless’, ‘letting myself down’ or ‘ashamed’ were common in relation to how people viewed their ability to provide for children. ‘feeling guilty’, ‘feeling rotten’, ‘awkward’, ‘useless’, ‘letting myself down’ or ‘ashamed’ were common in relation to how people viewed their ability to provide for children. ‘feeling horrible’, ‘embarrassed’ or ‘dreadful’ about having to accept help from others.... ‘feeling horrible’, ‘embarrassed’ or ‘dreadful’ about having to accept help from others....

20. I don’t like being on benefits because I feel like I am sponging. I don’t like it because it’s not my money... I don’t like being on benefits because I feel like I am sponging. I don’t like it because it’s not my money... (Trevor, three children ages 11, 9 and 2 years) It’s like the ice cream van comes and J wants an ice cream and I’m like, ‘I’ve got no money’, or he’ll say, ‘Mummy, when you’ve got some money can we do such and such again It’s like the ice cream van comes and J wants an ice cream and I’m like, ‘I’ve got no money’, or he’ll say, ‘Mummy, when you’ve got some money can we do such and such again (Hilda, one child, age 3)

21. Responses to shame /being shamed Feelings of inadequacy/ withdrawal Feelings of inadequacy/ withdrawal Anger and frustration Anger and frustration Pretence /maintaining illusion (e.g family overseas) Pretence /maintaining illusion (e.g family overseas) Keeping up appearances/a brave face Keeping up appearances/a brave face Pride/ resilience / sense of community (empathy, ‘only the poor people look after the poor’) Pride/ resilience / sense of community (empathy, ‘only the poor people look after the poor’) Avoiding situations which expose sense of inadequacy Avoiding situations which expose sense of inadequacy Projecting shame? Projecting shame? Rejection of notion of poverty or related shame Rejection of notion of poverty or related shame

22. Projecting of shame ? Those able to work and not working Those able to work and not working Those who have never worked Those who have never worked Those who don’t try/ look for work Those who don’t try/ look for work Young mothers having ‘another!’ child Young mothers having ‘another!’ child People scamming the system People scamming the system Immigrants/ asylum seekers Immigrants/ asylum seekers

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