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Living on a Low Income in Later Life
CRSP was commissioned by Age UK to conduct qualitative research which aims to gain a detailed understanding of older people’s experiences of living on a low income. This provided evidence to inform Age UK’s campaign work on reducing pensioner poverty and will be used to guide further research. The study aimed to illuminate the decisions and choices that older people may face in managing their finances and the practical and emotional impact of living in constrained circumstances. The research explored key aspects of living on a low income from older people’s own perspectives and experiences such as:
- What aspects of life are hindered or diminished in quality due to the restrictions of a low income and in what ways?
- What are the key concerns of those living on a low income?
- How do people on a low income feel about their circumstances?
- What aspects of life protect against the potential deprivation associated with low income?
- Are there any significant ‘coping strategies’ used to manage life with a low income?
- How are spending decisions made and how do spending restrictions impact on daily life?
- How do people’s attitudes affect their ability to manage on a low income and the choices that they make?
The research included 25 individual in-depth interviews in the East Midlands region as well as four focus groups with people aged 65+ in urban and rural areas including Scotland and Wales.
Sponsor
Age UK
Start date: March 2011
Completion date: October 2011
Project team
Katherine Hill, Liz Sutton, Donald Hirsch
Related publications
Hill, K., Sutton, L. and Hirsch, D. (2012) Living on a Low Income in Later Life, London: Age UK.
Hill, K. and Sutton, L. (2010) Housing Transitions: Older people's changing housing needs. Loughborough: Centre for Research in Social Policy.
Hill, K. and Sutton, L. (2010) Managing Finances in Later Life. Loughborough: Centre for Research in Social Policy.
Hill, K., Sutton, L. and Cox, L. (2009), Managing Resources in Later Life, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Hill, K., Kellard, K., Middleton, S., Cox, L. and Pound, E. (2007), Understanding Resources in Later Life: views and experiences of older people, Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Kellard, K., Beckhelling, J., Phung, V-H., Middleton, S., Perren, K. and Hancock, R. (2006), Needs and Resources in Later Life: Technical Report, CRSP Working Paper 537.
Middleton, S., Hancock, R., Kellard, K., Beckhelling, J., Phung, V-H. and Perren, K. (2007), Measuring Resources in Later Life: a review of the data, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Older people's views and experiences of resources in later life, Findings
Sutton, L. and Hill, K. (2010) Transport and Getting Around in Later Life. Loughborough: Centre for Research in Social Policy.
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