‘You End Up with Nothing’: The Experience of Being a Statistic of ‘In-Work Poverty’ in the UK

McBride, J.; Smith, A.; Mbala, M.

Abstract

Set in the context of the recent unprecedented upsurge of in-work poverty (IWP) in the UK – which currently exceeds out of work poverty – this article presents an account of the realities of experiencing poverty and being employed. Central issues of low-pay, limited working hours, underemployment and constrained employment opportunities combine to generate severe financial complexities and challenges. This testimony, taken comparatively over a year, reveals the experiences of, not only IWP, but of deep poverty, and of having insufficient wages to fulfil the basic essentials of nourishing food and adequate clothing. This article contributes to current academic and social policy debates around low-paid work, IWP, the use of foodbanks and underemployment. New dimensions are offered regarding worker vulnerabilities, given the recent growth of the IWP phenomenon.

Citation

McBride, J., Smith, A., & Mbala, M. (2018). ‘You End Up with Nothing’: The Experience of Being a Statistic of ‘In-Work Poverty’ in the UK. Work, Employment and Society, 32(1), 210-218. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017017728614

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 7, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Oct 17, 2017
• Publication Date: Feb 1, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jun 19, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 2, 2018
• Journal: Work, Employment and Society
• Print ISSN: 0950-0170
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-8722
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 32
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 210-218
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017017728614
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1328531
• Related Public URLs: https://eprints.ncl.ac.uk/229256