A Year Like No Other : Life on a Low Income During COVID-19

Money was already tight for UK families living on a low income before the COVID-19 pandemic, but national lockdowns made life much harder. Telling the stories of these families, this book exposes the ways that pre-existing inequalities, insecurities and hardships were amplified during the pandemic for families who were already in poverty before COVID-19, as well as those pushed into poverty by the economic fallout it created. Drawing on the Covid Realities research programme, and developed in partnership with parents and carers, it explores experiences of home-schooling, social security receipt and government, community and charitable support. This book sets out all that is wrong with the status quo, while also offering a powerful agenda for change. Also see ‘COVID-19 Collaborations: Researching Poverty and Low-Income Family Life during the Pandemic’ (Open Access) to find out more about the challenges of carrying out research during COVID-19. Front Cover Half-title Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents List of figures and artwork credits Timeline: Charting a year in a pandemic Foreword: Voices for change Introduction: A whisper in history: poverty, families and the pandemic One: Britain enters lockdown Two: Summertime Three: Back to school? Four: Christmas in the pandemic Five: Winter lockdown: hard times get harder still Six: The Budget: counting the money we do not have Conclusion: Our manifesto for change Afterword: This is no way for anyone to have to live Acknowledgements Notes Index Back Cover "Telling the stories of low-income families, this book exposes the ways that pre-existing inequalities, insecurities and hardships were amplified during the pandemic in the UK and offers key policy recommendations for change."-- Publisher's description