Welfare Benefits and Ethnic Minorities: Transfers from Australia to the United-Kingdom

Abstract Long-term poverty, precarious employment, low pay, the increased pension age and real-term reductions in welfare benefits, including bereavement allowances, have brought into focus the financial vulnerability of many older women aged 55 years and older in the United Kingdom. In this article, survey data were analysed alongside evidence from observations of debt support meetings and interviews with older women who were receiving debt advice from a support charity. The findings suggest that older women were more likely to have financial problems than older men, particularly those women who were living on low incomes and who were separated or divorced. Following the breakdown of a relationship, many older women were at increased risk of more debt and bankruptcy, particularly those aged between 55 and 64 years and those in routine and semi-routine occupations. Many women had kept their financial problems hidden due to fear and shame whilst bringing up their children and some had been subject to coercive control and economic abuse by their former husbands or partners. It is important that any pension reforms, changes to minimum wage rates, and new divorce and domestic abuse legislation and welfare policies take account of the circumstances of separated, divorced and widowed older women. More financial support and advice needs to be provided to older women facing financial difficulties.

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Women’s views and experiences of accessing vaccination in pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multi-methods study in the United Kingdom

10.1101/2021.09.14.21263505 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Helen Skirrow ◽

Sara Barnett ◽

Sadie Bell ◽

Sandra Mounier-Jack ◽

Beate Kampmann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

Ethnic Minority ◽

Ethnic Minorities ◽

List Type ◽

Lower Income ◽

Equitable Access ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Minority Families ◽

Ethnic Minority Families ◽

In Pregnancy

AbstractBackgroundCOVID-19 changed access to healthcare, including vaccinations, in the United Kingdom (UK). This study explored UK women’s experiences of accessing pertussis vaccination during pregnancy and infant vaccinations during COVID-19.MethodsAn online cross-sectional survey was completed, between 3rd August-11 th October 2020, by 1404 women aged 16+ years who were pregnant at some point after the first UK lockdown from March 23rd, 2020. Ten follow-up semi-structured interviews were conducted.ResultsMost women surveyed were pregnant (65.7%) and a third postnatal (34.3%). Almost all women (95.6%) were aware that pertussis vaccination is recommended in pregnancy. Most pregnant (72.1%) and postnatal women (84.0%) had received pertussis vaccination; however, access issues were reported.Over a third (39.6%) of women had a pregnancy vaccination appointment changed. COVID-19 made it physically difficult to access pregnancy vaccinations for one fifth (21.5%) of women and physically difficult to access infant vaccinations for almost half of women (45.8%). Nearly half of women (45.2%) reported feeling less safe attending pregnancy vaccinations and over three quarters (76.3%) less safe attending infant vaccinations due to COVID-19. The majority (94.2%) felt it was important to get their baby vaccinated during COVID-19.Pregnant women from ethnic-minorities and lower-income households were less likely to have been vaccinated. Minority-ethnicity women were more likely to report access problems and feeling less safe attending vaccinations for both themselves and their babies.Qualitative analysis found women experienced difficulties accessing antenatal care and relied on knowledge from previous pregnancies to access vaccines in pregnancy.ConclusionDuring the ongoing and future pandemics, healthcare services should prioritise equitable access to routine vaccinations, including tailoring services for ethnic-minority families who experience greater barriers to vaccination.HighlightsAccess to pregnancy vaccines in the United Kingdom was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.UK women reported difficulties in physically accessing vaccine appointments and feeling less safe accessing vaccine appointments for themselves when pregnant and for their babies during COVID-19, with women from ethnic minorities in the UK were more likely to report difficulties.Vaccine services must ensure equitable access to vaccine appointments during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic including tailoring services for lower income and ethnic minority families.

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