Fran Bennett works half time teaching and doing research in the Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of Oxford, and half time in a self-employed capacity as a social policy researcher/consultant. Her areas of interest include poverty, social security and gender issues. She began her working life at the GMB trades union, focusing on pensions and social security. She was at the Child Poverty Action Group for ten years, first as deputy director and then as director. She was also a policy advisor for Oxfam on UK and European poverty issues, and was secretary to the Commission on Poverty, Participation and Power.