Title
Contents
Acknowledgements 7
The Authors 8
Abbreviations 9
Glossary 10
Summary 11
1. Background 17
1.1 Background of this project 17
1.2 Objectives 18
1.3 Research design 19
1.4 Research methodology 19
1.5 Sampling and recruitment 20
1.5.1 Recruitment 21
1.6 Fieldwork and analysis 23
1.7 Structure of the report 23
2. Poverty and benefits questions 24
2.1 Defining who is in poverty 24
2.1.1 Issues arising from question 1a 25
2.1.2 Issues arising from question 1b 26
2.1.3 Issues arising from question 1c 28
2.2 Spending on social benefits (Q2a-d) 28
2.2.1 Difficulty in comprehension of task structure 29
2.2.2 Difficulty in prioritising spending 29
2.2.3 Variable understanding of the current benefits system 30
2.2.4 Lack of differentiation between types of benefits listed 31
2.2.5 Difficulties in allocation arising from consideration of individual circumstances 32
3. Child poverty 33
3.1 The purpose of Question 3 33
3.1.1 Defining child poverty 34
3.1.2 Issues arising from question 3a 35
3.1.3 Issues arising from Question 3b 36
3.1.4 Issues arising from question 3c 38
4. Vignettes 39
4.1 The exercise at question 4 39
4.2 Ability and willingness to answer 40
4.3 Defining whether each child was in poverty 41
4.3.1 The deciding factor and respondents' assumptions 41
4.4 Mismanagement of finances and parental neglect 43
4.5 Vignette credibility 43
4.6 Consistency and order effects 43
5. Card sort 45
5.1 The exercise at question 5 45
5.2 Ability and willingness to complete the exercise 46
5.2.1 Lack of information about context 47
5.2.2 Lack of information about items on the cards 47
5.2.3 Main strategies 48
5.2.4 Additional considerations - other 'impacts' on children 48
5.2.5 Non-essential items 49
5.3 Number of answer categories 49
5.4 Age of children and whether affordability mattered 49
6. Government policy and targets 51
6.1 Who is responsible for tackling child poverty (question 6) 51
6.1.1 Issues concerning who is responsible for tackling child poverty 52
6.2 Targets for eradicating child poverty (question 7) 54
6.2.1 Issues arising from questions 7a and b 55
6.2.2 Issues arising from question 7c 56
6.3 Ways to help remove children from poverty (question 8) 57
6.3.1 Issues arising from question 8 57
6.3.2 Issues arising from question 9 60
7. Lone parents 63
7.1 Question 10 about lone parents 63
7.2 Considerations involved in answering the question 63
7.2.1 The child's welfare 64
7.2.2 The availability of alternative care 64
7.2.3 The parent's welfare 65
7.2.4 The cost to the state 65
7.3 At what age should the parent be required to look for work? (question 10b) 65
8. Conclusions and recommendations 67
8.1 Summary of cognitive findings 67
8.1.1 Background 67
8.1.2 Defining who is in poverty 68
8.1.3 Government spending on social benefits 68
8.1.4 Attitudes to child poverty 68
8.1.5 Vignette questions 69
8.1.6 Card sort of items which could determine whether a child is in poverty 69
8.1.7 Government policy and targets 69
8.1.8 Children of lone parents 70
Appendix A Study documents 71
References 93
Table 1.1 Characteristics of the achieved sample 21