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UK poverty resources

Asylum and migration

Report on the Situation of the Roma Community in Govanhill, Glasgow (PDF)
This Report (and Briefing - PDF) bring together research into the social exclusion of Roma minority groups in Europe and their challenges in migrating to Western Europe. It particularly focuses on the significant Slovak Roma community in Govanhill, Glasgow. The study examines the work of service providers, and looks at successes and challenges within broader political, social policy and cultural contexts.
University of West of Scotland. Commissioned and funded by South East Glasgow Community Health and Care Partnership and Oxfam.

Oxfam submission to the Home Office Green Paper “Paths to Citizenship” (PDF), Oxfam GB, May 2008
Oxfam welcomes the intention to simplify and clarify the immigration system, but we are concerned that the proposals in this Green Paper create a more complex, less transparent and less welcoming system for migrants. We would like to see greater recognition of the value of migration in the struggle to reduce poverty and inequality.

Bonded labour in the UK? (PDF)
The Home Office’s proposed changes to the domestic worker visa will result in the return of bonded labour in the UK and will undermine attempts to end trafficking and violence against women.

Prisoners of terrorism? The impact of anti-terrorism measures on refugees and asylum seekers in Britain (PDF), Anja Rudiger, A Refugee Council Research Report prepared with a grant from Oxfam GB, February 2007
This qualitative study aimed to explore refugees’ and asylum seekers’ views and experiences of the impact of anti-terrorism measures on their lives. 10 focus groups were held across Britain, with a total of 67 participants from refugee and asylum seeking communities.

Submission to the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) inquiry the Treatment of Asylum Seekers (PDF), Oxfam GB and partner organisations, October 2006

Asylum and the Media in Scotland (PDF), Oxfam Asylum Positive Images Project and Glasgow Caledonian University, June 2006
A report on the portrayal of Asylum in the Scottish Media undertaken by the Oxfam Asylum Positive Images Network and Glasgow Caledonian University. The monitoring took place over a three-month period in late 2004, it monitored all the articles appearing in a sample of Scottish newspapers on the subject of refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK.The research provides a baseline of information that complements the work of previous studies, but which is uniquely Scottish in context.

First do no harm: denying healthcare to people whose asylum claims have failed (external link) Refugee Council with support from Oxfam GB, June 2006
This report looks at the impact that the NHS Charging for Overseas Visitors Regulations has on failed asylum seekers who need hospital care. Patients denied treatment for cancer and pregnant women forced to give birth alone at home are among the cases highlighted in the report, which calls on the government to restore access to hospital care for asylum seekers whose claims have failed, and on the Health Select Committee to conduct an inquiry into the impact of the regulations across England and Wales.

Foreign Territory: the internationalisation of EU asylum policy - English (PDF) | French (PDF), Oxfam GB, May 2005
Report presenting an agenda for action to ensure that the internationalisation of asylum policy pays full regard to the rights and protection of individuals. The report is based on the experience of Oxfam GB in Europe and in refugee situations worldwide, and includes policy analysis and original research into refugee realities in Sri Lanka, Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.

Hungry and homeless: the impact of the withdrawal of state support on asylum seekers, refugee communities and the voluntary sector (PDF), The Refugee Council, supported by Oxfam GB, April 2004
This research report investigates the real impact Section 55 is having on asylum seekers, charities and the refugee community, and reveals that Section 55 is, in fact, forcing many asylum seekers into destitution.

Migration and development (PDF), Oxfam GB, November 2003
Oxfam submission for the UK Parliament International Development Committee, recommending that UK and EU governments reframe their migration policies to integrate social and economic development in migrants’ home countries with entry and integration in host societies.

A joint statement on the withdrawal of asylum support for in-country applicants (external link)
Oxfam, the Refugee Council, Shelter, Amnesty International UK, Asylum Rights Campaign, CRISIS, JCORE, JCWI, Maternity Alliance, Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, Migrant Helpline, Refugee Action and Refugee Arrivals Project, January 2003

Poverty and Asylum in the UK (PDF), Oxfam GB and the Refugee Council, July 2002
This report highlights the extent to which asylum seekers are experiencing poverty, shows that asylum seekers' needs are not being adequately met by current state provision, and makes a series of recommendations for reform.

Oxfam’s Response To HM Government’s White Paper On Immigration, Citizenship And Asylum: Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Intergration with Diversity in Modern Britain (PDF), Oxfam GB, March 2002
A comprehensive analysis of Oxfam’s concerns regarding the direction of asylum policy.

Gender and race equality

Perspectives on Community Cohesion in Bradford: A comparative analysis of two neighbourhoods (PDF)
This research, into Community Cohesion policy, was carried out by Just West Yorkshire in late 2008. It explores what effects and consequences different interpretations of the policy have had. In particular it looks at how different communities reacted, the difficulties in ensuring that the application of the policy supports race equality, and talks about blindspots in public policy. The research raises concerns that partial application has meant the cohesion policy has not elicited the crucial buy in from the communities at which it was targeted. It also challenges the Government's over reliance on community cohesion as a major public policy tool relating to BME communities.

Women and Social Exclusion – Oxfam submission to NAP 2008 (PDF)
Since 2002, Oxfam has worked with grassroots activists, community groups, regeneration and service delivery practitioners, and policymakers in England, Scotland and Wales to improve the lives of women and men by focusing on gender issues in regeneration programmes. Now Oxfam has partnered with two European organisations, WAVE in Austria and Lamoro in Italy, on Gender Works, a two-year project to investigate women’s experiences of social exclusion in Europe and the policy processes and methodological tools that can be used to address women’s social exclusion. The project will report in autumn 2009, and findings will be presented in a submission to the UK National Action Plan (NAP) 2010.

Gender and spacial planning: RTPI Good Practice Note 7 (PDF)
Spatial planning can only deliver a safe, healthy and sustainable environment for all if it is sensitive to all needs. This Good Practice Note coincides with the introduction of the duty to promote gender equality in Britain, the first decade of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 which incorporates gender, and the European Year for Equal Opportunities. The note builds on the work of the RTPI Gender Toolkit published in 2003.

Forgotten women (PDF)
This report documents research findings relevant to understanding the experiences of South Asian women who have survived domestic violence and who have No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF), the “forgotten women”. This study was sponsored by Oxfam GB, with additional contributions from Care Services Improvement Partnership North West (CSIP NW) and the University of Huddersfield.

Tackling Inequalities: A guide to planning better services (PDF), South Lanarkshire Community Planning Partnership and Oxfam, November 2007
In the same way that you must always consider cost when designing a project or service, you must always consider fairness. This booklet is designed to help people consider inequalities from the outset when designing projects. By considering how to make sure that our services are suitable and accessible, we are also ensuring that our services are more effective.

Review of Sub-national economic development and regeneration for Comprehensive Spending Review: contribution from the Oxfam UK Poverty Programme (PDF), Oxfam GB, October 2006

Oxfam response to the Equalities Review: Interim report for consultation (PDF), Oxfam GB, June 2006

Gender Budgeting as a means to fulfil Public Sector Duty on Gender (PDF), Wales Gender Budget Group, February 2006
This paper explores how gender budgeting will be a useful tool to monitor performance delivery of the Public Sector Duty on Gender Equality.

Advancing Equality for Men and Women: Oxfam GB response to Government proposals to introduce a public sector duty to promote gender equality (PDF), Oxfam GB, January 2006
Oxfam's key concerns to Government proposals, including: the importance of a strategic approach; issues of structural inequality between men and women; the effects of the proposals on men as well as women; equal pay and women experiencing poverty; the importance of gender-disaggregated data; and the process of conducting Gender Impact Assessments.

Fairness for All: A New Commission for Equality and Human Rights - Oxfam’s response to the White Paper (PDF), Oxfam GB, August 2004
Oxfam's response to the UK Government’s proposals to establish a Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR).

Oxfam GB’s submission to the UN Commission on the Status of Women meeting, March 2004 (PDF), Oxfam GB, March 2004
This paper lays out Oxfam GB’s position in relation to gender work with men and boys.

Gender and regeneration

Where are the women in LSPs? Women's representation in Local Strategic Partnerships (PDF), Urban Forum, Oxfam and Women's Resource Centre, August 2007
Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) are a way of bringing together local people, including public sector organisations, voluntary and community organisations, and business to work to improve the quality of local life. They aim to improve how local services are planned and delivered. This report looks at the shortage of women in LSPs, especially in senior bodies, as well as the lack of monitoring which masks the problem, and the absence of specific support to shift the balance. It makes recommendations for systematic monitoring, specific support for women, and use of the Public Sector Duty on Gender Equality to improve service delivery.

Not seen and not heard? Gender, community engagement and representation (PDF), Oxfam GB, 2007
Local people, the most important stakeholders when it comes to improving neighbourhoods, have a right to participate in decisions that affect their lives. However, men and women experience our communities differently, have different aspirations and mobilize around different issues. Based on the findings of the ‘Gender and Community Engagement in Manchester’ (GEM) Project and other recent studies, this paper argues that a gender-aware approach is essential for effective community engagement. It looks at key policy areas and outlines practical steps for integrating gender into decision-making processes.

A place for everyone: gender equality and urban planning(PDF), Oxfam in partnership with the Royal Town Planning Institute, 2007
Our towns and cities are shaped by government policy and land-use planning. However, planning policy tends to ignore the fact that women and men use public space very differently and have different concerns about how it meets their needs. Looking at gender issues in planning is central to success in economic regeneration and social inclusion. This paper looks at the barriers facing local authorities, examines planning levels, and recommends changes, giving examples of good practice. For more detailed guidance, we recommend the Royal Town Planning Institute Good Practice Note on Gender and Spatial Planning (RTPI, 2007)

From getting by to getting on: women's employment and local regeneration programmes (PDF), Oxfam and RENEW North/West, November 2007
Why does regeneration fail the poorest women, and what can be done to help? The issues are complex, but the solutions are achievable. This report demonstrates that women’s employment needs have been left out of regeneration planning. As long as employment plans neglect the complex needs of women in poor communities, local economic underperformance will continue. Sustained, integrated support services are needed at neighbourhood level, with stronger links between regeneration policy, welfare policy and labour market strategies. Most importantly, workers and policy makers should listen more carefully to the needs of women in low paid employment or disengaged from the labour market.

Gender at the heart of regeneration (PDF), Oxfam GB, 2006
This introductory leaflet makes the case for including a gender perspective in regeneration work. It outlines how women are in the majority in many of the poorest groups, yet are in the minority when it comes to making the decisions about how regeneration money should be spent.

For better or worse: tackling women's and men's poverty in regeneration (PDF), Report on conference, 24 May 2007, Glasgow.

See both Sides: A practical guide to gender analysis for quality service delivery (external link) Oxfam, 2004
This hands-on guide is designed to help those responsible for planning and delivering services to ensure that the services they offer have a real impact on the everyday, different lives of women and men.

The guide explains how service delivery is never gender-neutral, and that even if offered and available to all, take up is affected by the difference in men and women’s lives, roles and responsibilities.

Training exercises and tools show how to examine the assumptions on which services may be based, collect and examine data by sex, and use this information to develop more effective services for the public.

An in-depth case study runs throughout the guide, highlighting each step with real examples.

Livelihoods

To banker, from bankies. Incapacity benefit: myth and realities (PDF)
Perspectives on welfare reform, from the Clydebank Independent Resource Centre
Chik Collins, CIRC, funded by Oxfam GB, April 2009

Close to Home UK poverty and the economic downturn (PDF)
Oxfam GB, April 2009
This paper sets out a pro-poor policy response to the recession that lays down the foundations for a more equitable, sustainable society.

Invisible Workers: the informal economy (PDF)
Community Pride Unit and Oxfam GB, Feb 2009
A short research project into the informal economy, based on interviews with eleven people working informally.

The Right to Exist (PDF) Oxfam GB, July 2008
This book tells ‘the story’ of what is today called the Clydebank Independent Resource Centre (CIRC), and its involvement in the local community over the last 35 years. It was written because the story will make an important contribution to the development of genuinely community-based responses to the experience of poverty in contemporary Scotland.

Oxfam GB’s response to: ‘A new deal for welfare: Empowering people to work’ (PDF), Oxfam GB, February 2006

Participation of people in poverty

Oxfam's response to ‘Empowerment and the Deal for Devolution’, speech by Rt Hon David Miliband MP (PDF)
Oxfam GB, February 2006

Rights

Memorandum from Oxfam UK as evidence to the Joint Committee on ESC rights (PDF), Oxfam GB, 2003

Oxfam submission to International Convention on ESC rights report (PDF), Oxfam GB, 2007

Programme

Asylum and migration

Migrant Matters: Lessons from Oxfam's Migrant Workers Project 2006 - 2009 (PDF)
Oxfam GB, March 2009

Let us tell you (PDF)
A peer research project into the working experience of migrant workers in Manchester Migrants Supporting Migrants and Oxfam GB, 2008

Best practise in the recruitment and employment of migrant workers in the social care sector in Merseyside (PDF) Liverpool Social Care Partnership, Oxfam GB, Migrant Workers Northwest, May 2008

Forward Together: Ideas for working with asylum seekers, refugees, the media and communities (PDF), Request a copy of the DVD and booklet
This exciting booklet and DVD highlights some of the powerful work the Oxfam Asylum Positive Images Project and Network have carried out in Scotland over the last few years. It features many of their most successful initiatives aimed at improving media and public attitudes towards asylum.

We believe that these ideas, if adopted and adapted for other areas of the UK, could be vital in positively influencing the debate on asylum and refugee issues, as well as wider discussions on migration and immigration.

Divided into 3 sections, it covers Working with the Media, Working with Refugee Communities and Working in Communities.

Fair Play (revised 2007): refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland – a guide for journalists (PDF), Oxfam GB, Amnesty International, Scottish Refugee Council and the National Union of Journalists, 2007
Accurate and balanced reporting on asylum within the Scottish media is crucial to challenging racism and harassment, informing public perceptions of asylum and helping people seeking asylum to safely rebuild their lives and settle in Scotland. This guide (revised in 2007) aims to improve the quality of asylum debate in the UK by providing journalists in Scotland with essential information to enable high standards of reporting.

Diamonds and Roses: Cleo's Story (PDF), April 2008
A drama-based cross-curricular resource for secondary schools and youth groups which invites young people to engage meaningfully and creatively with the true story of one family's search for safety in Scotland.

'Primary', media co-op and Oxfam, June 2006
The short video PRIMARY is an innovative production by the Glasgow-based media co-op, and funded by Oxfam. media co-op is a non-profit co-operative of professional film makers, who trained young asylum seekers to use video cameras to film and interview their own classmates. Together they have created a profound and inspiring piece of film.

A Stronger Voice (PDF), The Migrants Resource Centre with support from Oxfam GB, June 2006
This report by The Migrants Resource Centre documents how migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers view and experience poverty and social exclusion in UK society today. It presents the findings of a number of workshops organised by the Anti-Poverty Group at the Migrants Resource Centre in London. These were part of the UK-wide Get Heard project, feeding into the 2006 National Action Plan on Social Inclusion. Produced with support from Oxfam's UK Poverty Programme.

What's going on? A study into destitution and poverty faced by asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland (PDF), Refugee Survival Trust, April 2005
An Oxfam-funded study analysing grants issued by the Refugee Survival Trust between from 2000-2004. The results reveal the main causes and effects of poverty and destitution amongst people seeking asylum in Scotland.

‘Tell it like it is’: the truth about asylum (PDF), Refugee Action, February 2005
Refugee Action teamed up with the Refugee Council, the Scottish Refugee Council, the Welsh Refugee Council and STAR (Student Action for Refugees), to launch a pocket guide for anyone wanting the facts about asylum at their fingertips during the 2005 general election campaign.

Let’s Talk to the Media (PDF), Refugee Media Group, November 2004
Based on the experience of the Refugee Media Group in Wales, of which Oxfam is a member, the purpose of this practical guide is to encourage accurate asylum reporting and ensure the voices of men and women asylum seekers and refugees are heard. It is intended as a guide for refugee community organisations, or any local groups, who wish to engage with the media in ‘positive images’ work.

Welcome or Over Reaction? Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the Welsh Media (PDF), Asylum Seekers and Refugees Media Group, March 2001
Analysis of how the Welsh media reported on asylum issues between August and December 2000.

Asylum: The truth behind the headlines (PDF), Oxfam GB, 2001
Asylum seekers press report exploring how adverse media coverage in the Scottish press has affected asylum seekers in Scotland. Includes recommendations to ensure fair reporting in the future.

Token Gestures: The effects of the voucher scheme on asylum seekers and organisations in the UK (external link), Oxfam GB, December 2000
An Oxfam briefing paper highlighting the impact the voucher scheme was having on asylum seekers in the UK.

Participation of people in poverty

No more sticky dots: making progress with Participatory Appraisal in Salford (PDF), Charlestown and Lower Kersal NDC and Oxfam GB, October 2005
This new report from Oxfam describes the experience of using PA to facilitate community involvement in regeneration work in the Charlestown and Lower Kersal New Deal for Communities area in Salford in the North of England. The lessons shared in this report will help others to understand what is different about PA, as well as highlighting the positive impact that PA can have on regeneration in the UK.

Breathing life into democracy: the power of participatory budgeting (PDF), Community Pride Initiative and Oxfam, February 2005
A detailed overview of the origins and development of participatory budgeting (PB), why it is important today and what its key strengths and weaknesses are.

Bringing budgets alive: participatory budgeting in practice (PDF), Community Pride Initiative and Oxfam, February 2005
A practical guide to participatory budgeting: how to do it and what tools and techniques can help you.

Get Heard: National Action Plan on Social Inclusion 2006 participation toolkit (external link)
A practical toolkit designed to help people experiencing poverty in the UK participate in the development of the Government's next National Action Plan on Social Inclusion.
Social Policy Task Force and the Department for Work and Pensions, September 2004

What men and women want: a practical guide to gender and participation (external link)
This publication from Oxfam's UK Poverty Programme offers a thorough exploration of gendered participatory appraisals, based on our experience working with a partner organisation in Wales.

Making waves in Walsall: Learning from the success of the Participatory Appraisal Network (PDF), Oxfam GB, Walsall Participatory Appraisal Network, and the Centre for International Development and Training at the University of Wolverhampton, March 2004
This 36 page report provides an introduction to Participatory Appraisal (PA) and documents the success of the Walsall PA Network. Contact us to request a hard copy

Have you been PA’d? Using Participatory Appraisal to shape local services (PDF), East End Health Action, Greater Easterhouse Community Health Project, Greater Glasgow NHS Board and Oxfam GB, June 2003
This report introduces Participatory Appraisal, showing what it is and what it can achieve, using two community health projects as examples. Contact us to request a hard copy

Fifty voices are better than one (PDF), Gellideg Foundation Group and Oxfam GB, March 2003
Combating social exclusion and gender stereotyping in Gellideg, in the South Wales Valleys. Contact us to request a hard copy

Listen hear: The right to be heard (PDF), UK Coalition Against Poverty, January 20015
Summary of the report of the Commission on Poverty, Participation and Power

Gender and race equality

A Change in Thinking: Gender Budgeting - now's the time, Oxfam GB, May 2006
A Change in Thinking is a CD Oxfam has put together with its partners to show how gender budgeting can deliver better value services for both women and men. We spoke to people across the UK who are conducting, lobbying for or benefiting from gender budgeting at local and national level. We hope the results will encourage government use of gender budgeting techniques.

Into the lion’s den: a practical guide to including women in regeneration Oxfam, July 2005

Gender is an important but often neglected aspect of regeneration work in the UK. This guide aims to develop the capacity of community-based groups in regeneration areas by providing the tools and techniques for them to hold decision-makers to account. It follows the examples of three local women’s groups who worked to ensure that they were involved in local regeneration initiatives. Throughout the guide, there are illustrated practical examples of tools that were used with the ReGender pilot groups.

Section 1 (PDF): Contains the chapter Gender and regeneration – which takes the confusion out of ‘the gender agenda’, maps out the local regeneration scene, and looks at why gender matters in regeneration.

Section 2 (PDF): The chapters Women making change and Reaching decision makers. Women making change explores how women can become agents of change – as individuals and as collective groups. The realisation that women can have a valuable input in regeneration and act as agents of change is important: it is this realisation that builds confidence, raises women’s self-esteem, and helps them to take action.

Reaching decision makers builds on the potential for action by looking at ways to identify and target those who hold decision-making power in regeneration areas. This chapter maps out the who and the how of influencing the decision makers and power-holders. Like both previous practical chapters, it is composed of tools that have been piloted with the three ReGender groups.

Section 3 (PDF): The final part of the guide focuses on Reflecting on women’s journeys, which contains tools that enable reflection and assessment of the processes of change. There are examples of how the facilitator of a group can measure the effectiveness of the gender and regeneration tools, and to improve or adapt them, if necessary. These tools will help the facilitator and group to see the impacts of the work, and to assess whether progress is being made.

Finally, this third part concludes with a look at the successes and journeys of each of the ReGender pilot groups, as well as two appendices – a jargon-busting glossary of terms, and a reference section of useful resources. Into The Lion’s Den ends with an opportunity for improvement – an evaluation form that you are encouraged to complete and return to us. Your feedback is valuable and will enable us to learn from the first phase of ReGender. Please do take a moment to fill in the form and let us know what you think.

Women’s and children’s poverty: making the links (PDF), Ruth Lister and WBG Poverty Working Group, Women’s Budget Group, March 2005
This report explores the links between women’s and children’s poverty. The key message is that women are ‘shock absorbers’ in the home, and that government targets to reduce child poverty cannot be successfully achieved without attention to women's poverty. The report is based on both academic and experiential expertise in this field.

Accounting for Gender – Support for Work in South Bank and Grangetown (PDF), Romi Jones and Julia Lyford, Fourth Action, on behalf of South Bank Women's Centre, Oxfam and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, March 2005.
A gender analysis of the Job Connect employment service from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. Findings revealed a quality service, but one that met men's needs more than women's.

Gender Equality and Men: learning from practice (external link), Sandy Ruxton, Oxfam GB, June 2004.
Based on work with men from a range of countries including the UK, this book aims to provide a critical account of practical experience of work with men for gender equality.

Men, Masculinities, and Poverty in the UK (external link), Sandy Ruxton, Oxfam GB, October 2002
This book was commissioned by Oxfam’s UK Poverty Programme to explore how changing economic, social, and political circumstances are affecting gender relations.

Income security

The Sustainable Livelihoods Handbook: a asset based approach to poverty (PDF 2.8MB)
Oxfam and Church Action on Poverty, 2009.
This handbook is intended to introduce community development workers and local activists to the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA), an exciting and innovative means of researching the opportunities for change within our households and communities. The Handbook is also potentially relevant for academics and policy makers who are interested in finding out more about how the approach can be used more generally within research and policy development on poverty.

Farming Lives: Using the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach in the Peak District Farming Community (PDF 1.28MB)
Oxfam and National Farmers Network, April 2009.
This Farming Lives project was carried out in recognition of the immense challenges faced by the farming community over the past fifteen years. It was preceded by a piece of research into the position of hill farmers in the Peak District which led to the development of a National Farmers’ Network. The subsequent consultation of farmer-led groups revealed feelings of powerlessness amongst farmer members, a perceived lack of government support and hardship caused by trying to earn a living through farming. As a result, Oxfam agreed to fund a pilot of the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach within the Peak District farming community.

When ends don't meet: assets, vulnerabilities and livelihoods. An analysis of households in Thornaby-on-Tees (PDF), Oxfam GB and Church Action on Poverty, November 2006
This report describes Church Action on Poverty and Oxfam's pilot project to explore how men and women in 24 low-income households in Thornaby construct their livelihoods. Drawing on the ‘Sustainable Livelihoods Approach’ commonly used in international development, the research is based on detailed interviews with participants, working with them to understand what assets they have, and their own analysis of how they are getting by. In addition to the interviews, the project also carried out some participatory research and an analysis of the local and regional economy.

Making the City Work: Low Paid Employment in London (external link), Department of Geography, Queen Mary, University of London, November 2005
This report examines the experiences of workers employed in key services that ‘make the city work’: cleaning on the London Underground, cleaning in offices and other services, hospitality and home care. It provides detailed findings for each sector on the characteristics of the people engaged in this work, their conditions of employment and their household circumstances and shows the differences between these sectors. It reveals how London’s economy is reliant on migrant labour that endures very low wages, few work related benefits, unsociable hours, high rates of deskilling and low benefits uptake. The report also highlights the impact of subcontracted service provision and calls for public and private organisations to take responsibility for their employees’ conditions of work.

A Childcare Revolution in Wales (PDF), Victoria Winkler, The Bevan Foundation, March 2005
This report is based on childcare provision research undertaken by the Bevan Foundation, with the support of Oxfam’s UK Poverty Programme, the Equal Opportunities Commission Wales, BT Wales and Chwarae Teg. It brings together the findings of other research, looks at the experiences of parents in four contrasting communities, and makes recommendations to achieve a step-change in provision in Wales. Welsh version (PDF) also available.

Made at Home: British workers in global supply chains (PDF), Oxfam GB, National Group on Homeworking and the TUC, May 2004
This report exposes the double standards of retailers who want an ethical public image but who are refusing to meet the costs of paying the National Minimum Wage to British workers. The report also shows how the UK government is failing to protect the rights of these vulnerable workers.

Hard Times: a research report into hill farming and farming families in the Peak District (external link), Peak District Rural Deprivation Forum, January 2004
Peak District hill farmers are among the most deprived in the country, earning just £7,482 per year for a 58-hour working week. Hard Times, commissioned by the Peak District Rural Deprivation Forum and funded by Oxfam’s UK Poverty Programme, looks at income levels and the impact of government policy on farming families.

Other resources

Making UK poverty history (PDF), Oxfam GB, BOND, End Child Poverty Coalition and the TUC, October 2005
What is poverty in the UK really like? Who is most affected? What action can ordinary people take to make a difference, and help make poverty in the UK history? This short pamphlet is full of facts and ideas for action.

UK Poverty Programme publications booklet (PDF)
A selection of publications from the UK Poverty Programme and our partner organisations and allies.

How comfortable are you with poverty in the UK? (PDF), Oxfam GB, September 2007
An introductory leaflet on Oxfam’s work to overcome poverty in the UK.

“Are you bothered?” Public attitudes to poverty in the UK (DVD), Oxfam GB, November 2006

This 10 minute DVD features a series of vox-pop interviews on the streets around the UK. A great resource to stimulate debate about poverty in the UK. Request a copy on DVD