Impoverished
How to fix Britain's poverty problem
1st Edition
Published on 31. March 2026
288 pages
978-1-4473-7607-1 (ISBN)
Description
A deeply researched look at how UK poverty levels skyrocketed, and how the crisis can be fixed.
Almost a third of children in Britain today live in poverty. Levels of deprivation in the UK are now higher than at any point in recent history. But how did we get here - and what can be done to turn the tide?
In Impoverished, Joanna Mack traces the roots of Britain's poverty crisis to decades of political choices that have left millions unable to withstand the turmoil of the 2020s. Drawing on four decades of pioneering research, Mack offers a clear-eyed analysis of how Britain's social contract has been undermined - and what it will take to rebuild it. She sets out bold, practical strategies to create a fairer society, alongside pro-poor policies to protect the most vulnerable from the impacts of climate change. Urgent, evidence-based and forward-looking, Impoverished is a blueprint for renewal.
Almost a third of children in Britain today live in poverty. Levels of deprivation in the UK are now higher than at any point in recent history. But how did we get here - and what can be done to turn the tide?
In Impoverished, Joanna Mack traces the roots of Britain's poverty crisis to decades of political choices that have left millions unable to withstand the turmoil of the 2020s. Drawing on four decades of pioneering research, Mack offers a clear-eyed analysis of how Britain's social contract has been undermined - and what it will take to rebuild it. She sets out bold, practical strategies to create a fairer society, alongside pro-poor policies to protect the most vulnerable from the impacts of climate change. Urgent, evidence-based and forward-looking, Impoverished is a blueprint for renewal.
Reviews / Votes
"This powerful analysis from a seasoned observer demonstrates how and why poverty in Britain has worsened, and urgently needs fixing." Donald Hirsch, Loughborough University "Joanna Mack sets out her timely response to the 'deeply flawed and inhumane' policies that led to rising poverty and destitution in the UK and the change that has to come including how to pay for it. It is comprehensive, detailed and timely." Alison Garnham, Child Poverty Action Group"Joanna Mack is a pioneering poverty scholar and Impoverished provides an insightful analysis of how to repair Britain's worn and torn social fabric." Stephen Sinclair, Glasgow Caledonian University "A no-nonsense account of the problem and - crucially - the solutions to poverty in the UK: a sorely needed book."
Tania Burchardt, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics and Political Science
More details
Edition
First Edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Bristol
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bristol University Press
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
2 s/w Tabellen, 28 s/w Abbildungen
Not illustrated
File size
3,69 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-4473-7607-1 (9781447376071)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
approx. 03/2026
1st Edition
Policy Press
€19.00
Not yet published
Person
Joanna Mack is a Visiting Fellow at the Open University, an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bristol and a consulting editor of the Journal of Poverty and Social Justice. She pioneered a groundbreaking methodology for measuring poverty, which has been adopted by international governments, agencies and researchers, and has played a pivotal role in a series of research surveys, culminating in the UK's largest study of poverty and social exclusion. A former award-winning TV producer/director, her documentaries have shaped public debate and policy. She has authored several influential books on poverty, childhood and social change and created the widely used resource www.poverty.ac.uk.
Content
Introduction: The promise of change
Chapter 1: The breadth and depth of impoverishment
Chapter 2: The collapse of the safety net
Chapter 3: Blaming the vulnerable
Chapter 4: Why isn't work a route out of poverty?
Chapter 5: The dismantling of services tackling disadvantage
Chapter 6: How the UK's housing system drives poverty
Chapter 7: How the UK's immigration system designs in destitution
Chapter 8: The interlocking challenges of climate change and poverty
Chapter 9: Lowering the basic costs of living
Chapter 10: Renewing public services
Chapter 11: Income security for all
Chapter 12: Making change happen
Chapter 1: The breadth and depth of impoverishment
Chapter 2: The collapse of the safety net
Chapter 3: Blaming the vulnerable
Chapter 4: Why isn't work a route out of poverty?
Chapter 5: The dismantling of services tackling disadvantage
Chapter 6: How the UK's housing system drives poverty
Chapter 7: How the UK's immigration system designs in destitution
Chapter 8: The interlocking challenges of climate change and poverty
Chapter 9: Lowering the basic costs of living
Chapter 10: Renewing public services
Chapter 11: Income security for all
Chapter 12: Making change happen
