Life on a low income

In 1996, about 14 million people - one in four of the British population - lived in households with incomes below half the national average. Since 1979, the number of people living on such low incomes has trebled. But what does this mean for the individuals who make up the statistics?

This report explores exactly what life was like for people who living on low incomes in the 1990s. It draws together a number of research studies which have explored, in depth, various aspects of the lives of low-income households to provide a detailed picture of what it means to live in Britain's poorest households in the mid-1990s.

Life on a low income (PDF, 106kB) (summary)