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Issued by Policy Press, University of Bristol
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Book exposing the myth of the 'benefits scrounger' wins prestigious British Academy Peter Townsend Prize
Based on research with people from Middlesborough, Poverty and insecurity: Life in low-pay, no-pay Britain, reveals that those living in poverty have a commitment to work and a hatred of claiming benefits. It is the cycle of moving between low paid, insecure jobs and periods of worklessness that creates a life defined by poverty, a revelation completely inconsistent with the stereotypical 'benefits scrounger' so often depicted in the media.
Poverty and insecurity: Life in low-pay, no-pay Britain, by Rob Macdonald, Tracy Shildrick, Colin Webster and Kayleigh Garthwaite, was published by Policy Press in December 2012.
Julia Mortimer, Assistant Director at Policy Press, said:
"We are really delighted that this important, much-needed and highly topical book has won the 2013 prize. It sums up exactly what the prize is all about - a book which throws light on the reality of living in poverty, challenges current myths and has the potential to impact on policy and bring about change."
The authors have donated their £2,000 prize money to Thrive, a charity that helps people living in poverty through research, campaigns and projects.
The biennial Peter Townsend Prize is awarded for outstanding work with policy relevance on a topic to which Professor Townsend made a major contribution. Peter Townsend is one of the most distinguished global figures in contemporary social policy and sociology, particularly in the areas of poverty and inequality, health inequalities, disability and older people. The prize was set up by the British Academy, of which he was a Fellow, to honour his memory following his death in 2009.
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Notes:
1.Poverty and insecurity: Life in low-pay, no-pay Britain by Rob Macdonald, Tracy Shildrick, Colin Webster and Kayleigh Garthwaite, published December 2012, price £26.99 (ISBN 9781847429100). It is available to buy from www.policypress.co.uk with 20% discount.
2. Media enquiries to Jessica Miles, Marketing Executive, Policy Press: [log in to unmask]
3. Policy Press (www.policypress.co.uk) is a leading social science publisher based at the University of Bristol, UK and is committed to publishing books that make a difference.
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