Austerity, inequality and the context of contemporary social work

This paper provides an overview of the contemporary context of austerity politics in the U.K. Austerity acts as a cover for welfare transformation and public sector spending reductions. The consequence has been to deepen inequality and make the lives of the poorest and marginalised much more difficult. Understanding these processes is important for social workers if we are to fully comprehend the difficulties placed on service users and their already complex lives.Keywords: austerity, inequality, poverty, wealt