Purse or Wallet ?
The Distribution of Income Within Families Receiving Benefits

Authors: Jackie Goode, Claire Callender and Ruth Lister

Summary

This new research with families receiving in-work or out-of-work social security benefits esposes alarming gendered inequalities in the distribution of household income. It reveals that women continue to carry the burden of financial management in low income families, and 'go without' in order to meet their childrens's needs, while men had greater financial control of income and engaged in higerh levels of personal spending than women. Within these families, the source and recipient of income was highly significant for how it was perceived and allocated. The study makes essential reading for policy makers as well as for social policy academics, students, and a variety of professional practitioners working with families. It should instil caution about any policies that might reduce the money available to women to meet the needs of their famlies: the 'purse or wallet' issues is still highly significant for those involved.

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