Facing debt: economic resilience in Newham

LSE Housing and Communities conducted in-depth interviews with 62 residents of Newham in Stratford, East Ham, Royal Docks, Canning Town, Forest Gate and Manor Park, between March and July 2013, and 60 households between October 2013 and January 2014, of whom 38 were from the original sample. This final report presents the findings from these 122 face-to-face, recorded interviews with households on low incomes and 12 life-stories from representative cases. The report uncovers detailed evidence about the financial management skills of low-income residents; the causes, consequences and prevalence of debt; the impact of welfare reform on people’s lives and resilience; and how people struggle to manage.