About our work in CHASM
CHASM is a multidisciplinary research centre for financial security, wellbeing and inclusion. We produce research that matters and use it to advocate for a fairer, more financially inclusive society.
Our Purpose
Many households are on a financial cliff edge. As welfare safety nets shrink, households are left to shoulder the costs of illness, insecure work, care, and retirement. At CHASM, we investigate the inequalities created by this growing rift and work collaboratively to shape policy and practice that give people a fairer chance and a stronger financial footing.
Our research themes
Our education
CHASM launched its new Master’s-level module, Financial Wellbeing and Inclusion: A Social Policy Perspective, this year as part of the MA Global Public Policy programme at the University of Birmingham. The module has proven popular, with over 50 students enrolling in its inaugural year to benefit from the expertise of CHASM’s academic team.
The module explores critical conceptual and policy debates surrounding financial well-being and inclusion. It examines how social policy interacts with financial choices and behaviours across various life stages and among different population groups. Students engage with national and international evidence and contemporary case studies covering topics such as work patterns and earnings, savings and debt, social security, health, and intergenerational family dynamics. These examples serve to illustrate and deepen understanding of the complex factors shaping financial well-being.
Student stories
- Chabala Hall, Frozen Pensions: The Financial Consequences for British Retirees Abroad (Blog)
- Jung-Eun Heo, Why Farmers Struggle With Finance (Vlog)
- Ben Drew, Examine why (some) people need a particular financial product or service, and the reasons why they might be unable to access it (Blog)
- Charlotte Ball, How a previous partner's financial mismanagement can impact access to financial services long after separation (Vlog)
- Shuhang Liu, Young people and credit: Why are they always rejected? (Blog)
Our values
Our work is informed and guided by the following core principles:
- Rigour – As an academic research centre, we pride ourselves on high standards of research integrity and excellence.
- Impact – We carry out research which has an impact on the most immediate social problems, both in the UK and globally. We also work with leaders from across the public, private and third sectors to make decisions which promote positive social, economic, and environmental change.
- Independence – The freedom to research and communicate facts and ideas for their own sake, rather than in pursuit of any political or financial interests, is a core principle of academia which we uphold in our own work.
- Inclusivity - We seek to carry-out research which promotes the right of everyone to be valued and respected, regardless of social differences such as race, gender, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, or disability.