Publisher's Synopsis
An overview of the extent and nature of poverty in Britain over the last century, and a review of the policies that have been implemented to address it. Written by some of Britain's key thinkers in this field and published to coincide with the JRF's centenary year, this landmark review looks at current poverty policy concerns in the context of where we have come from. Using Seebohm Rowntree's groundbreaking 1899 study Poverty: A study of town life as a starting point, the authors review changes in poverty in the twentieth century. They explore how the causes of poverty a century ago compare with its causes today, and how key social and economic factors affected these changes. The authors trace poverty policy throughout the century, including the Beveridge report of 1942. They bring their analysis of changes in policy up to the present day to include policy developments and poverty outcomes under Thatcher, Major and Blair. The book concludes by looking forward.;Setting out where Britain stands now in international terms, they explore the economic and demographic pressures that Britain will face in coming decades, the constraints and aspirations of public attitudes, and what these mean for policy-making in coming years. This accessible review of poverty and policy over the past 100 years will be of interest to a wide audience, from politicians and policy-makers, to academics and students at all levels.
