A rethink of support for families in the UK necessary, says report

Uncertainty and pessimism about the future emerged strongly from the research, conducted earlier this year, which focused on 50 individuals from families with low resources in England and Scotland. Professor Daly says, ‘The UK prides itself as a family-friendly society, but if you are poor or living in hardship, family life is very compromised.’She insists, ‘A rethink on the support for family and family life is necessary. Benefits that cover the real costs of family life,More information and support for claimants, andTraining for staff in schools and public services, so they appreciate families’ difficulties. The report on the UK is part of the rEUsilience project: a European-wide research project focusing on understanding families’ differential capacities to respond to socio-economic and other risks and the resulting dilemmas and inequalities facing European families in a context of changing labour markets and welfare states. Professor Daly's report presents the analysis of the primary research conducted in the UK for Work Package 4 (WP4) of the project.