The impact of the Great Recession in Ireland and the resultant austerity programs
have provoked widespread debate about rising levels of poverty and economic
stress, and changes in how these are distributed across the population. Previous
research in Ireland found significant variation in the distribution of economic
stress over the life course and by social class position. During the recession
younger households experienced higher level of economic stress than older
households. In this study we were particularly concerned with the experience of
economic stress in families with children. We investigated how it varied by socioeconomic
position and how it changed over time in absolute and relative terms
