This working paper describes an experimental collaboration between members of the PSE team, the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland and communities from some of the most deprived wards in Northern Ireland. It's aim was to link local experiences to a national research project and to share their findings via digital media tools, such as the PSE website.

This working paper provides a review of the qualitative evidence base relating to the experience of poverty and social exclusion in the UK for which to date few systematic reviews exist.  Its principal objective is to identify gaps in the current evidence base in order to inform the design and conduct of the Phase II Qualitative Research of the PSE 2011, ‘Understanding Experiences of Low Income During Recession’.  It is also intended that the review will act as a resource for further aspects of PSE UK research.

The Poverty and Social Exclusion in the UK (PSE: UK) survey will re-interview respondents to the 2010/11 Family Resources Survey (FRS) who have provided permission to be contacted again. A sampling frame is required to select a minimum achieved sample of 4,000 households and 6,000 individuals in Britain and a minimum achieved sample of 1,000 households and 1,500 individuals in Northern Ireland. This paper sets out details of the sampling frame to be used.

This report describes the results of a series of fourteen focus groups conducted as part of development work for the PSE: UK survey. This qualitative development work is intended to inform the design of both the necessities Omnibus module and the main-stage PSE living standards survey. This preliminary report focuses on participants’ perceptions of the ‘necessities of life’, i.e. those items and activities that everyone should be able to afford to have or to do in our society today and should not have to go without.

This paper explores poverty measurement in South America using the example of Brazil because its magnitude and heterogeneity allow commenting on a broad spectrum of situations that give a good picture of what happens in many countries. It places poverty measurement within the context of two key frameworks. First, the socio-economic transformation that has taken place in the last decade. Second, the need to understand different norms and their influence on expenditure patterns between different geographical areas and socio-economic groups.

This paper summarises findings derived from a series of twenty cognitive interviews conducted with members of the UK general public in June and July 2011 as part of the design process for the PSE: UK main survey questionnaire. Cognitive interviewing is designed to identify cognition, recall, judgement and response problems associated with survey questions, as well as to identify any sensitivity issues arising for respondents.

Mental health problems can impact on social exclusion as a result of lack of financial resources and because of the effects of illness, including low self-esteem, loss of social contacts due to hospitalisation or the impact of illness on sociability, or the stigma experienced by many of those affected by mental illness.

This paper explores the definition of poverty, based on the concept that people are poor if they are prevented through lack of resources from carrying out obligations that are associated with their social role. The paper investigates which common social roles are found in social surveys and which activities are associated with these roles. It looks at ways of capturing participation in common social activities.

This paper provides a review of various measures pertaining to older people used in the 1999 Poverty and Social Exclusion (PSE) survey and offers suggestions for improvement. Six measurement areas were identified: deprivation; social capital; limitations in activities of daily living; receipt of informal care; receipt of health and social services; and provision of unpaid care.