- https://doi.org/10.51952/9781447364504.ch014
UC:Us now? Reflections from participatory research with Universal Credit claimants during COVID-19
Translate Article 
UC:Us is a group of people in receipt of Universal Credit living in Northern Ireland. They came together for the first time in June 2019 as part of a participatory research project funded by Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) to discuss their experiences of claiming Universal Credit. The first phase of the project included participants working closely with researchers, and the group met up in a series of workshops to consider their experiences and to develop recommendations to improve benefits in the future. This culminated in the publication of a report by JRF in July 2020 which outlines the group’s vision for a social security system that ‘treats everyone with dignity and respect and as valued members of society’. In this chapter, we will note how the group have been working to advocate for change by meeting with key politicians, policymakers and sharing their experience of claiming Universal Credit during COVID-19 at public events and through the media.
- Book Chapter
- 10.56687/9781447364504-020
- May 31, 2022
UC:Us now? Reflections from participatory research with Universal Credit claimants during COVID-19
- Research Article
30 - 10.35241/emeraldopenres.14062.1
- Feb 18, 2021
- Emerald Open Research
BackgroundEvidence suggests that people living in poverty often experience inadequate nutrition with short and long-term health consequences. Whilst the diets of low-income households have been subject to scrutiny, there is limited evidence in the UK on the diet quality and food practices of households reporting food insecurity and food bank use. We explore lived experiences of food insecurity and underlying drivers of diet quality among low-income families, drawing upon two years of participatory research with families of primary school age children.MethodsWe report on a mixed-methods study of the relationship between low income, food bank use, food practices and consumption from a survey of 612 participants, including 136 free text responses and four focus groups with 22 participants. The research followed a parallel mixed-methods design: qualitative and quantitative data were collected separately, although both were informed by participatory work. Quantitative data were analysed using binary and multinomial logistic regression modelling; qualitative data were analysed thematically.ResultsLower income households and those living with food insecurity struggle to afford a level of fruit and vegetable consumption that approaches public health guidance for maintaining a healthy diet, despite high awareness of the constituents of a healthy diet. Participants used multiple strategies to ensure as much fruit, vegetable and protein consumption as possible within financial constraints. The quantitative data suggested a relationship between higher processed food consumption and having used a food bank, independent of income and food security status.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that individualised, behavioural accounts of food practices on a low-income misrepresent the reality for people living with poverty. Behavioural or educational interventions are therefore likely to be less effective in tackling food insecurity and poor nutrition among people on a low income; policies focusing on structural drivers, including poverty and geographical access to food, are needed.
