The Dynamics of Poverty in Britain

Abstract

This report analyses the dynamics of poverty using data from the first nine waves (1991-9) of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS). It describes the extent and nature of persistent poverty in Britain, the main events ('routes') associated with movements into and out of poverty, and the length of poverty spells and the time between poverty spells. The former Department of Social Security (now the Department for Work and Pensions) commissioned this research from the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex (together with a second project on outcomes for children of poverty).