Rural Lives: Understanding Financial Hardship and Vulnerability in Rural Areas

Recent analysis shows that half of all rural residents in Britain fell into poverty at some time during 1991-2008, and the Financial Conduct Authority found in 2018 that more than half of rural residents exhibit financial vulnerability. This project investigates why and how people in rural areas experience (and negotiate) poverty and social exclusion, with a focus on financial hardship and vulnerability. Interviews were conducted with individuals experiencing financial vulnerability and representatives of organisations offering support in 3 case study areas between October 2019 and September 2020, so both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study areas were Harris, East Perthshire and Northumberland

• Many rural residents are at risk of poverty, while poverty is perceived as an urban issue. • The welfare system is not well adapted to rural lives. • Much rural work is not ‘good work’, with incomes often volatile and irregular. • There are barriers to entering self-employment and developing rural small businesses. • It is challenging for organisations to ‘reach’ into rural areas. • It remains difficult for financially vulnerable groups to access suitable, affordable housing. • Framing narratives of place and change are important to the wellbeing of rural communities. • There is an imminent crisis in rural social care delivery