Profile

Brief biography

Jonathan Bradshaw took his first degree at Trinity College Dublin and came to the University of York in 1967. He obtained an MPhil in social administration in 1969 and a DPhil in 1978. He was appointed a research fellow in 1968 and lecturer in 1969. He was founding Director of the Social Policy Research Unit from 1973 to 1987 and served two terms as Head of Department 1988-1994 and 2003-2007. He also served as Director of the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences 1994-1998. He was appointed Academician of the Learned Societies for the Social Sciences in 1996,  Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2005 for services to child poverty and Fellow of the British Academy in 2010. In 2011 he was made Doctor of the University of Turku, Finland (honoris causa).

Areas of expertise

• Family change
• Poverty/social exclusion
• Comparative research
• Child wellbeing
• Social security policy

Research

Research projects

Recent research includes (with funder)

• Index of the well-being of children in the OECD (UNICEF)
• An index of child well-being at local level for England (DCLG)
• Area variations in the take-up of means-tested benefits (DCLG)
• Minimum Income Standards for the UK (JRF)
• Child support in comparative perspective (DWP)
• Minimum Income Standards for the UK (JRF)
• Index of child well-being in CEE/CIS countries (UNICEF)
• Water poverty (Water Consumer Council)
• Social exclusion of young people aged 16-24 (Cabinet Office)
• National Action Plans for Social Inclusion (EU)
• Extreme poverty (EU)
• Survey of child well-being in England (Children’s Society)

Research team

Associate Director of the Social policy Research Unit and a member of the Welfare and Employment team in SPRU.

Publications

2011

Bradshaw, J. and Mayhew, E. (2011) The Measurement of Extreme Poverty in the European Union, European Commission DG Employment Social Affairs and Inclusion. [Website] 

Bradshaw, J. and Attar-Schwartz, S (2011) Fertility and Social Policy in Takayama, N. and Werding, M. (eds) Fertility and Public Policy: How to Reverse the Trend to Declining Birth Rates, Cambridge MA and London UK: MIT-Press.

Bradshaw, J. (2011) Child Poverty in Yeates, N., Haux, T., Jawad, R. and Kilkey, M. (eds) In Defence of Welfare: The Impacts of the Spending Review, Social Policy Association. 17-19.

Bradshaw, J., Keung, A., Rees, G. and Goswami, H. (2011) Children’s subjective well-being: international comparative perspectives, Children and Youth Services Review, Review 33, 548-556. [Available via ScienceDirect]

Bradshaw, J. and Keung, A. (2011) Trends in child subjective well-being in the UK, Journal of Children’s Services, 6, 1, 4-17.

Bradshaw, J and Main, G. (2011)  PSE Measures Review Paper: Children’s Deprivation Items,
Poverty and Social Exclusion in the UK: The 2011 Survey,  Working paper series: No 7. [Available online]

Bradshaw, J. (2011) Hands off child benefit! In Knight, B. (ed) A Minority View: What Beatrice Webb would say now, Beatrice Webb Memorial Trust Series on Poverty Volume 1, London: Alliance Publishing Trust 59-70.

Bradshaw, J. (2011) Poverty in Walker, A., Sinfield, A., and Walker, C. (eds) Fighting poverty, inequality and injustice: A manifesto inspired by Peter Townsend, Bristol: Policy Press pp 91-111.

Oldfield, N. and Bradshaw, J. (2011) The costs of a child in a low income household, The Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, 19, 2, 131-144.

Bradshaw, J. (2011) Child benefits in the European Union, Poverty,  139, 13-16.

Bradshaw, J. (ed) (2011) The well-being of children in the United Kingdom, Third Edition, Bristol: Policy Press.

Bradshaw, J. (2011) The case for family benefits, Children and Youth Services Review. [Available via ScienceDirect]

Bradshaw, J. and Chzhen, Y. (2011) Lone parent families: poverty and policy in comparative perspective, in Almeda Samaranch, E and Di Nella, D. (eds)  Las Familias monoparentales a debate II: Bienestar, proteccion social y monoparentalidad, Coleccion Familias monoparentales y diversidad familiar 11, Barcelona: tiifamo-Copolis, 25-45.

Bradshaw, J. and Bennett, F. (2011) Editorial: National Insurance: past, present and future? The Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, 19, 3, 207-209

2010

Bradshaw, J. (2009) An international perspective on child benefit packages, in Kamerman, S., Phipps, S. and Ben-Arieh, A. (eds) From Child Welfare to Child Well-being: An international Perspective on Knowledge in the Service of Policy Making, Springer: Dordrecht. pp293-308.

Bradshaw, J. and Holmes, J. (2010) Child Poverty in the first five years of life in Hansen, K., Joshi, H. and Dex, S. (eds) Children in the 21st Century: The first five years, The UK Millennium Cohort Series 2, Bristol: The Policy Press 13-32.

Rees, G., Bradshaw, J., Goswami, H. and Keung, A. (2010) Understanding Children’s Well-being : A national survey of young people’s well-being, London: The Children’s Society. 94 pages.

Bradshaw, J. (2010) Child poverty and child-well being in the European Union, Policy overview and policy impact analysis: A case study: UK,  in TARKI Child poverty and child well-being in the European Union. Report prepared for the DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (Unite E.2) of the European Commission, Budapest. [Available online].

Lau, M. and Bradshaw, J. (2010) Child well-being in the Pacific Rim, J. Child Indicators Research, 3, 3, 367-383. [Available via Springer].

Bradshaw, J. and Finch, N. (2010) Family Benefits and Services in Castles, F., Leibfried, S. Lewis, J., Obinger, H. and Pierson, C. (eds) The Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State, Oxford University Press, Chapter 32. 462-478.

Bradshaw, J., Bennett, F. and Mayhew, E. (2010) United Kingdom:  In-work poverty and labour market segmentation: A Study of National Policies. [Available online].

Bradshaw, J., Rees, G. Keung, A., and Goswami, H. (2010) The Subjective Well-being of Children in McAuley, C. and Rose, W. (eds) Child Well-being: Understanding Children’s Lives, London: Jessica Kingsley 181-204.

Bradshaw, J. and Holmes, J. (2010) Child Poverty and Social Exclusion in South Africa, in Roberts, B. Kivilu, M. and Davids, Y. (eds) South African Social Attitudes: 2nd Report: Reflections on the Age of Hope, HSRC Press: Cape Town.

Rees, G., Haridhan, G. and Bradshaw, J.  (2010) Developing an index of children’s subjective well-being in England, The Children’s Society: London.

Bradshaw, J. and Mayhew, E. (2010) Understanding Extreme Poverty in the European Union, European Journal of Homelessness, 4, 171-186. [Available online].

2009

Bradshaw J. & Chzhen, Y. (2009). Child poverty policies across Europe. Zeitschrift fuer Familienforschung/Journal of Family Research, 21, 2, pp. 128-149.

Bradshaw, J. and Bennett, F. (2009) Minimum Income Schemes in the United Kingdom: A Study of National Policy, Second Semester Report of the Network of Social Inclusion Experts 29 pages. [Available online].

Bradshaw, J. (2009) La pauvrete infantile au Royaume-Uni, Politiques Sociales et Familiales, 98, 37-46.

Bradshaw, J. (2009) The prevalence, characteristics and distribution of child poverty in the North East Region: A Report for Child Poverty Strategy Group, NERIP: Newcastle. [Available online].

Cusworth, L., Bradshaw, J., Coles, B., Keung, A. and Chzhen, Y. (2009) Understanding social exclusion across the life course: youth and young adulthood, Social Exclusion Task Force, Cabinet Office.

Glennerster, H. Bradshaw, J., Lister, R. and Lundberg, O. (2009) Reducing the risks to health: The role of social protection: Report of the Social Protection Task Group for the Strategic Review of health Inequalitues in England Post 2010, CASEpaper 139.

Snell, C. and Bradshaw, J. (2009) Water Affordability in England and Wales: A report prepared for CCWater.

Bradshaw, J. (2009) Social Inclusion and Child Poverty in Changing Childhood in a Changing Europe, European Science Foundation, pp 29-36.  

Bradshaw, J. and Attar-Schwartz, S (2009) Fertility and Social Policy in Takayama, N. and Werding, M. (eds) Fertility and Public Policy: How to Reverse the Trend to Declining Birth Rates, Cambridge MA and London UK:MIT-Press.

Bradshaw, J. (2009) Child well-being in comparative perspective, Children Australia, 34, 1, 5-15.

Bradshaw, J. and Richardson, D. (2009) An index of child well-being in Europe, J. Child Indicators Research.

Bradshaw J, Noble M, Bloor K, Huby M, McLennan D, Rhodes D, Sinclair I, Wilkinson K. (2009) A Child Well-Being Index at Small Area Level in England, J. Child Indicators Research 2, 2, 201-219.

Bradshaw, J. (2008) Pobreza y bienestar infantiles en Espana desde una perspective comparada, in Foundacion Foessa (Eds), Congreso sobre Exclusion y Desarrollo Social en Espana: Collection de estudios, Madrid.

Bradshaw, J. and Holmes, J. (2008) Family poverty assessed at three years old, Centre for Longitudinal Studies Working Paper 2008/7, August 2008. pp 18.

Richardson , D. and Bradshaw, J. (2008) Variations in the Take-up of Pension Credit, Benefits: the Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, October 2008, 16, 3, 235-244.

Bradshaw, J. (2008) Who is fuel poor? Poverty 131, Autumn 2008 pp9-11.

Bradshaw, J., Chzhen, Y, and Stephens, M. (2008) Housing; the saving grace in the British welfare state? In Fitzpatrick, S and Stephens, M. (eds) The future of social housing, London: Shelter pps 7-25.

Bradshaw. J. and Richardson, D. (2008) Does Child Income Poverty Measure Child Well-Being Internationally? Social Policy and Society , 7, 4, October 2008, pp 521-536

Richardson, D. Hoelscher, P. and Bradshaw, J. (2008) Child well-being in Central and Eastern European Countries (CEE) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Child Ind. Res. 1: 211-250.

Bradshaw, J. (2008) The costs of necessities in Strelitz, J. and Lister, R. (eds) Why Money Matters: Family Income, poverty and children’s lives, London: Save the Children.

Bradshaw, J., Middleton, S., Davis, A., Oldfield, N., Smith, N., Cusworth, L., and Williams, J. (2008) A minimum income standard for Britain: What people think, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Huby, M. and Bradshaw, J. (2007) A Review of the Environmental Dimension of Children and Young People's Well-Being.

Bradshaw, J. (2007) UK policy: A success story? Paediatric Child Health, 12, 8, 681-685.

Bradshaw, J. (2007) Investing in Children in Willow, C. (ed) Advancing Opportunity: children, human rights and social justice, London: The Smith Institute.

Ward, K. Sullivan, A. and Bradshaw, J. (2007) Income and Poverty, in Hansen, K and Joshi, H. (2007) Millennium Cohort Study Second Survey: A user’s guide to initial findings, Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education, University of London.

Bradshaw, J. (2007) What do we know about child well-being? In ESRC Seminar series: Mapping the public policy landscape: Well-being of children and young people, ESRC: Swindon.

Bradshaw, J. and Bennett, F. (2007) UK: Tackling Child Poverty and Promoting the Social Inclusion of Children: A study of national policies, European Commission (DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities) (web publication only)

Bradshaw, J. Richardson, D. and Ritakallio, V-M. (2007) Child poverty and child well-being in Europe, Journal of Children’s Services, 2, 1, 18-36.

Bradshaw, J. and Richardson, D. (2007) Spatial Variations in the Take-up of Means-tested Benefits.

Skinner, C., Bradshaw, J. and Davidson, J. (2007) Child support policy: an international perspective, Department for Work and Pensions Research Report 405, Leeds: Corporate Document Services.

Bradshaw, J. Hoelscher, P. and Richardson, D. (2007) Comparing Child Well-being in OECD Countries: Concepts and Methods, IWP 2006-03. Florence:UNICEF.

Bradshaw, J., Hoelscher, P. and Richardson, D. (2007) An index of child well-being in the European Union 25, Journal of Social Indicators Research, 80, 133-177.

Bradshaw, J. (2007) Some problems in the international comparison of child income poverty in Wintersberger, H. , Alanen, L., Olk, T. and Qvortrup, J. (eds) Childhood, Generational Order and the Welfare State: Exploring Children's Social and Economic Welfare. Vol. 1 of COST A19: Children's Welfare. University Press of Southern Denmark: Odense.

Bradshaw, J. (2007) Child Benefit Packages in 22 Countries in Wintersberger, H. , Alanen, L., Olk, T. and Qvortrup, J. (eds) Childhood, Generational Order and the Welfare State: Exploring Children's Social and Economic Welfare. Vol. 1 of COST A19: Children's Welfare. University Press of Southern Denmark: Odense.

Bradshaw, J. and Bennett, F. (with Maynard, M.) (2006) UK: 'Feeding in and Feeding out', and Integrating Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities: A study of national policies (Second Semester Report 2006), European Commission (DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities) (web publication only).

Bradshaw, J. and Bennett, F. (2006) UK: Trends, Recent Developments, Active Inclusion and Minimum Resources (First Semester Report, 2006), European Commission (DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities) (web publication only).

Huby, M. and Bradshaw, J. (2006) A review of environmental dimension of children and young people’s wellbeing (Vol 1), University of York.

Bradshaw, J. (2006) Child benefit packages in 15 countries in 2004, in Lewis, J. (ed) Children, changing families and the welfare state, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. pp 69-89.

Bradshaw, J. (2006) Child support and child Poverty, Benefits: The Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, October, 14, 3, 199-208

Bradshaw, J. (2006) A rights based multi-dimensional understanding of child well-being in the EU, Tools for measuring the well-being of children, Proceedings of the seminar held in Rome March 20 2006, MedChild Paper no. 4, 41-58.

Heikkila, M., Moisio, P., Ritakallio, V-M., Bradshaw, J., Kuivalainen, S., Hellsten, K. and Kajoja, J. (2006) Poverty policies, structures and outcomes in the EU 25, Report to the Fifth European Round Table on Poverty and Social Exclusion, Helsinki: Stakes.

Bradshaw, J. (2006) Child Support. Background Paper for the JRF Report What will it take to end child poverty in the UK?

Bradshaw, J. (2006) Teenage births. Background Paper for the JRF Report What will it take to end child poverty in the UK?

Bradshaw, J., Finch, N., Mayhew, M., Ritakallio, V-M, and Skinner, C. (2006) Child poverty in large families, Policy Press/Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Bradshaw, J (2006) How has the child poverty rate and composition changed? Background Paper for the JRF Report What will it take to end child poverty in the UK?

Bradshaw, J. (2006) A review of the comparative evidence on child poverty, Background Paper for the JRF Report What will it take to end child poverty in the UK?

Bradshaw, J. and Finch, N. (2006) Can Policy Influence Fertility? In Emanuel, H. (ed) Ageing and the Labour market :Issues and Solutions, International Studies in Social Security – Volume 12, Antwerp: Intersentia/FISS, 151-168.

Bradshaw, J. (2006) Child Benefit packages in fifteen countries in Lewis, J. Children, Changing Families and Welfare States, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

Ritakallio, V-M. and Bradshaw, J. (2006) Family Poverty in the European Union, in Bradshaw, J. and Hatland, A. (2006) (eds) Social policy, family change and employment in comparative perspective, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

Bradshaw, J. and Mayhew, E. (2006) Family Benefit Packages in Bradshaw, J. and Hatland, A. (2006) (eds) Social policy, family change and employment in comparative perspective, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

Bradshaw , J. and Hatland, A. (2006) (eds) Social policy, family change and employment in comparative perspective, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.