Reports Archive

The Reports archive provides short summaries of the findings of academic institutes, think-tanks, charities, pressure groups and government and international bodies from 2011 to 2014, the period of the PSE UK project. These reports can, in the main, be accessed free of charge. For a review of the academic literature, for which journal subscriptions are required, the Social Policy Digest is a good source for literature between May 2002 and September 2014.

You can search the archive by entering Reports plus the subject of your search in the search box above.

Displaying 1 - 10 of 214

  • 28/03/14

    Bedroom tax – just 6 per cent of tenants move

    Only about 6 per cent of social housing tenants affected by the coalition government's 'bedroom tax' have moved home, according to research carried out by the BBC.

    The bedroom tax policy – or 'withdrawal of the spare room subsidy' – was partly designed to cut under-occupancy of social housing and relieve overcrowding.

    The BBC's research was based on responses from 331 social housing providers across England, Scotland and Wales.

    Subjects: Housing benefit
    Category: Reports
  • 27/03/14

    Paying bills a struggle for 1 in 8 in Wales

    As many as one in eight people in Wales are finding it a 'constant struggle' to keep up with their bills, according to the latest findings from the National Survey of Wales.

    The National Survey collects detailed information on the views and experiences of people across Wales on a wide range of topics, involving face-to-face interviews with around 14,500 people a year. The latest report, for 2012-13, focuses on the issue of financial inclusion.

    Subjects: Debt, Financial exclusion, Wales
    Category: Reports
  • 27/03/14

    Child poverty commission – government responds

    The coalition government has claimed that it is tackling the root causes of poverty by 'giving people opportunities rather than trapping them in dependency', in its response to the first annual report of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission.

    Subjects: Child poverty, Social mobility
    Category: Reports
  • 25/03/14

    Northern Ireland's poorest hit hardest by downturn

    The poorest families in Northern Ireland have suffered a dramatic fall in their income following the economic downturn, deteriorating at a markedly worse rate than the rest of UK, says new research published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).

    Subjects: Northern Ireland
    Category: Reports
  • 24/03/14

    Widening pay gap highlighted

    Between 2000 and 2013 the pay gap between the top 10 per cent and the bottom 10 per cent of earners rose by 5 per cent, according to a new analysis from the Trades Union Congress, released to mark the beginning of 'Fair Pay Fortnight'. 

    Subjects: Low pay
    Category: Reports
  • 24/03/14

    European social inclusion – progress report

    European Union countries are still not giving social inclusion goals a high enough priority, according to a new report based on the work of a network of independent experts.

    The report assesses, from a social inclusion perspective, the extent to which EU countries’ National Reform Programmes (NRPs) and – where available – Strategic Social Reports (SSRs) are likely to ensure progress towards the Europe 2020 social inclusion objectives.

    Subjects: Europe, Social exclusion
    Category: Reports
  • 20/03/14

    Poverty linked with shame – new film

    Living in poverty is universally linked with feelings of shame, according to an Oxford University study featured in a new film.
     
     Researchers (led by Professor Robert Walker) examined attitudes to poverty in culturally different societies across the world. In the film, called Rich Man, Poor Man, people from poor and rich backgrounds in four countries (Pakistan, Uganda, UK and South Korea) talk candidly about their lives and what they think of people living in poverty.
     

    Subjects: Shame, Social attitudes
    Category: Reports
  • 18/03/14

    Poverty in Scotland 2014: The Independence Referendum and Beyond

    The latest edition of Poverty in Scotland, 2014, sets out to inform the independence debate in Scotland, providing the latest facts and figures and looking at how other regions and nations have tackled the problem. Gerry Mooney gives an overview.

    Subjects: Child poverty, Deprivation, Economic policy, Poverty measurement, Scotland
    Category: Reports
  • 18/03/14

    Call for life-cycle perspective on inequality

    Relying on a 'snapshot' perspective tends to overstate inequalities in living standards between individuals, according to a new report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies. The authors call instead for inequalities to be examined from a life-cycle perspective. Key points Most analysis of the impact of taxes and benefits on households is cross-sectional, with individuals classified as rich or poor using a single snapshot of data (often relating to a week or month).
    Subjects: Inequality
    Category: Reports
  • 18/03/14

    Benefits ‘essential to cut child poverty’

    Social security benefits are an essential tool for reducing child poverty, according to international evidence highlighted in a paper published by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG).

    The paper, prepared by researchers at the Institute for Social and Economic Research, illustrates the effect of taxes and benefits on child poverty rates across the European Union in 2012.

    Subjects: Child poverty
    Category: Reports