Participant Information Sheet
Hitting Home: Single people, housing benefit reform and equalities law
Name of Principal Investigator: Dr Eleanor Wilkinson
Name of Researcher: Dr Iliana Ortega-Alcazar
Ethics Reference: 14029
You are being invited to take part in a research project. Before you decide if you
want to take part it is important for you to understand why the research is being
conducted and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following
information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Ask us if there is
anything that is not quite clear, or if you would like more information. Take time to
decide whether or not you wish to take part. If you are happy to participate you will
be asked to sign a consent form.
What is the purpose of the project?
This research project seeks to give voice to those who have been affected by the
increased age-threshold for the Shared Accommodation Rate of Local Housing
Allowance. This policy change has been estimated to bring savings of £215 million
a year, but at what social cost? The research will examine how this policy has had
an impact upon people’s everyday lives. The project has a particular focus on the
adverse effects this policy change has had a number of groups (women, ethnic
minorities, LGBT people, people with disabilities, people with non-resident
children). These groups are traditionally under-represented in research in the
social sciences, but we think it’s vital that the groups who are potentially most
vulnerable get their voices heard.
This is a 3-year project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
There are two stages to the research, the first is a questionnaire—which you can
either online, by phone or on paper (it’s likely you will have already completed this
stage prior to being interviewed). The second stage of the research is individual
interviews with a smaller selected sample of people.
Why have I been chosen?
In total the project consists of 50 interviews with people who have been affected
by the changed age-threshold to the Shared Accommodation Rate. We have
selected a broad range of people in different housing situations —from different
genders, different ethnicities, different sexualities, different (dis)abilities, ages, and
from different locations across Britain.
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Do I have to take part?
It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you agree to take part you
will be given a hard copy of this information sheet to keep (and be asked to sign a
consent form). You can still withdraw at any time and you do not have to give
reasons for deciding not to take part.
What do I have to do?
You will be asked to take part in an individual interview. We realise most people
lead very busy lives, so we’ll schedule the interview at a time that is convenient for
you. The interviewer will always travel to you, so there won’t be any travel costs.
Ideally the interview will take place in your home, but we can arrange for it to take
place somewhere else if you’d prefer. The interview can last from anything
between half an hour to two hours—it all depends how much you have to say
about your experiences of housing welfare cuts. Usually one interview will be
sufficient, but at a later date the interviewer may have a couple of follow up
questions to help clarify what you’ve said—but there’s no obligation to answer any
further questions if you’re too busy. Also, you might find that you’ve not had
chance to say everything you wanted— and it which case a follow-up interview
can be arranged at a time that is convenient for you.
What sort of questions will I be asked in the interview?
The interview will begin by asking you a bit about your past and the homes you
have lived in— this is so the researcher can get a bit to know about your
background. Together you’ll produce a rough timeline of the homes you have lived
in. Then we’ll move on to talk about your recent housing experiences, in particular
what kind of effect the Shared Accommodation Rate has had on your life. We will
then discuss your current housing arrangements, and also whether you have ever
attempted to get any additional support or advice around housing. The interview is
very informal, there are not many set questions and it is largely lead by your
experiences. There are no right or wrong answers — we just want to hear about
your experiences.
Will I be recorded?
All interviews will be recorded on a dictaphone. These will then be transcribed
(written up into a Word document) by the research team. The audio recording will
be deleted once the transcript is complete. No one outside the project will be
allowed access to the transcripts.
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Will my participation be confidential?
All the information that we collect about you during the course of the research will
be kept strictly confidential, and all data will be safely stored in compliance with the
Data Protection Act. All data will be coded and saved on a password protected
computer. All findings will be anonymised, and other information, such as place
names and other peoples’ names will all be anonymised. You will not be able to be
identified in any reports or publications.
Are there any risks involved?
There are no specific risks involved in taking part. Your anonymity will be
guaranteed, and no information will be shared outside of the research team. The
interview is led by your own experiences, so it’s up to you what you reveal. At
times you may touch upon issues and memories that are upsetting, and we realize
that these policy changes may have had an incredibly detrimental impact on your
life. We will do our best to make sure you feel comfortable, but if you feel upset at
any point then you are free to change topic, take a break from the interview, or end
the interview. At the beginning and end of the interview we will provide a list of
support groups for you to contact.
What’s in it for me? Why should I take part?
The majority of people who take part in research like this find it an enjoyable
experience, as it’s a chance to share your own experiences and views. There’s a
small cash incentive for being interviewed, and you will receive a £20 voucher for
your time. Taking part means you’ll be involved in important research that will help
provide a more accurate picture of the impact that welfare reform is having on
people’s everyday lives. The success of the project is dependent on your input and
time. The information gathered will be used to produce a policy briefing to
government that will provide suggestions about how policy might be improved in
future. The press will also be interested in the findings, and hopefully the research
findings might lead to a greater awareness into the damaging effects this policy
has had.
What will happen to the results of the research project?
All research reports and any news coverage will be published on the project
website www.lhacuts.uk. You will not be identified in any report or publication.
Who is funding the research?
The research is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC):
the ESRC is the UK's leading research funder addressing economic and social
concerns
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What happens if something goes wrong?
In the unlikely case of concern or complaint, please contact the Chair of the
University of Southampton ethics committee Dr Elisabeth Schröder-Butterfill.
Phone: 023 8059 6880
Email: [email protected]
Where can I get further information?
Please contact us with any questions, either via email or by phone.
Dr Eleanor Wilkinson & Dr Iliana Ortega-Alcazar
Geography & Environment
University of Southampton
SO17 1BJ
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07828 195285
Website: lhacuts.uk
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