Universal Credit (UC) is harmful to the mental health of claimants and has a particularly detrimental impact on the mental health of lone parents, creating stress, anxiety and financial hardship. This rapid response briefing shares findings from the Changing Realities research programme, which works in partnership with over 100 parents and carers living on a low income from across the UK. It combines quantitative analysis of the mental health impacts of UC with the accounts of lone parents and carers, charting their experiences of navigating UC and the additional challenges of doing so without the financial and emotional support that can come from a partner.
Changing Realities
Write-up
Write-up
Briefing
Click to downloadChanging Realities
Write-up
Write-up
Summary
Click to downloadPublished 15 May 2023
Where’s the Credit? - Single Parents, Universal Credit and Mental Health
Maddy Power
University of York
Katie Pybus
University of York
Uisce Jordan
University of York
Emma Tominey
University of York
Jim Kaufman
University of York
Fiona McHardy
The Poverty Alliance
Laura Robertson
The Poverty Alliance
Ruth Patrick
University of York
Participants
Changing Realities
Changing Realities is a collaboration between
parents and carers,
researchers at the University of York, and
Child Poverty Action Group.
Changing Realities is funded by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust.
Changing Realities' sister project is Covid Realities,
which ran from 2020 to 2022, and was funded by the Nuffield Foundation
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