The scales never seem to balance’
Exploring the lived realities of poverty during the UK ‘cost-of-living crisis’ through participatory research
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12937604 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Uisce Jordan (0000-0002-9603-1236, Universities UK), Ruth Patrick (0000-0002-3284-6313, Universities UK), Maddy Power (0000-0002-9571-1782, Universities UK), Katie Pybus (0000-0002-9990-125X, Universities UK), Jim Kaufman (0000-0002-8610-7719, University of Salford) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 199-220 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-14 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Poverty and Social Justice (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1759-8273 • E-ISSN: 1759-8281 |
| Publisher | Policy Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1332/17598273y2025d000000041 |
| OpenAlex | W4410353116 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 21 |
Since late 2021, the term ‘cost-of-living crisis’, indicating decreased disposable incomes, has gained prominence in the UK. This study draws on the long-running online participatory research project Changing Realities, involving over 100 low-income parents and caregivers across the UK, to provide deeper insights into cost-of-living challenges. Focusing on transcriptions of spoken testimonies and written diary entries between February and June 2023, findings highlight the normalised struggle to meet living costs irrespective of a crisis, emphasising effects on low-income families and the inability to make further sacrifices. The study sheds light on the broader ramifications on family life, prompting an exploration of its enduring nature and temporal support. The article concludes by setting out co-produced policy recommendations, which urge the government to rethink social security as an investment in the future, rather than as a temporary safety net that leaves families exposed to a permanent state of crisis
Balance (ability · Citizen journalism · Economic growth · Economics · Lived experience · Participatory action research · Political science · Poverty · Psychotherapist · Sociology · Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism · Psychology
Austerity and health
Burden of the global energy price crisis on households
Food Insecurity And Health Outcomes
Health equity in England
Which is most important for mental health
Which Types of Family are at Risk of Food Poverty in the UK? A Relative Deprivation Approach
The Legacy of Austerity
Navigating ethical moments when researching substance misuse with parents and their children
The Effects of Poverty on Children
Done Because We Are Too Menny”
In a Different Voice
Living on a low income during the cost-of-living crisis
When we put our thoughts and ideas together, policy makers are listening to us
Social Reliability in Qualitative Team Research
A time of need
Moving Social Policy from Mental Illness to Public Wellbeing
The Continuing Effects of Welfare Reform on Food Bank use in the UK
Unsettling the Anti-Welfare Commonsense
No Margin for Error
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |